No rest for the wicked, more live Autmn Nations Series updates from Ireland v South Africa here:
Andy Bull’s report from the Principality has dropped and that’s probably a good place to wrap up the live blog.
Tipuric speaks!
“We knew coming in that they’d finis the game strongly so it’s nothing that we didn’t expect. We’re just gutted that we didn’t into plan what we wanted to do. New Zealand showed at the end that if you give them a sniff they’ll take all the points.
“There’s no excuses our end, we know that we’ve got to be a lot better than that. We know we’ve got three games coming up and we’re going to have a big reaction this week and move on to the next game.
“[The scoreline] was more like a yoyo, I guess. We scored, they scored and that was the most frustrating thing about it. We’d get back into the game and let them straight back in – if that makes sense. There’s a few things we’ve got to tidy up, especially in the 22, every time they got there they came away with points.
“Everyone has to knuckle down this week and make sure put in a performance next week.”
Whitelock speaks!
“I’ve not had an easy Test match against Wales, tonight was exactly the same. I’ve got a bit of a sore body and I’m sure everyone else is the same.
“It felt like both teams were swinging with the momentum. It felt like we’d get momentum, then make silly error and they’d come down and score points. It shows how hard these matches are.
“We’re always looking to improve and we haven’t had the year up the standards that we’d like. We know that, the country knows that and we’ve just got to worry about what’s in front of us.”
Savea speaks!
“We knew how tough Wales would be at home and we wanted to put in a performance that we could be proud of. We still leaked a few points, but we’ll take that result and enjoy tonight.
“I’m just trying to have fun, I’m grateful to be here and my job is to put a smile on people’s faces – that’s my mindset when I play this game. So to be able to come out uninjured is pretty blessed.
“[The Principality] is the best stadium to play at, for me personally. The Welsh fans are amazing and we relish this opportunity. It’s always a highlight when we come here.”
Humble words from the player of the match.
I’m off to cover Ireland vs South Africa, I leave you in the soft hands of my colleague, Tom Bassam
FULL TIME! Wales 23-55 New Zealand
And that’s that. A walloping for Wales.
Updated
TRY! Wales 23 - 55 (Samisoni Taukei’aho)
80+2 mins. Wales have the ball in their own 22 and given the unwritten and pointless honour rule of rugby means you have to keep attacking if you’re losing and it makes no difference, they don’t actually go “sod this” and boot the ball off. The result is they are penalised at the breakdown, NZ go to the corner and, TL:DR, sub Taukei’aho forces over from inches.
TRY! Wales 23 - 48 New Zealand (Jordie Barrett)
76 mins. As the game enters the final five, the All Blacks are in Wales’s final five metres once again. There’s nothing but a low mutter from the crowd as they work up to double figures in dominant phases before Jordie Barrett is fed on the left to walk in.
Brother Beauden adds the two.
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72 mins. The ball is won cleanly at the lineout, but on the second phase Will Rowlands can’t hold a pass right into his bread-basket from Hardy. Some on comms are saying it’s not his fault as Savea was putting him under pressure. They are wrong.
70 mins. Wales have the ball in the NZ half and the All Black defence are too keen off their line in defence. Penalty for the home side that Costelow despatches to touch in the NZ 22.
68 mins. Anscombe has a run towards the left corner with Dyer screaming for the ball on the inside. Mo’unga covers across and puts in a great tackle to down the Wales fullback who can’t get the ball to Dyer.
65 mins. Young Sam Costelow is on for Priestland and Kieran Hardy replaces Tomos Williams
TRY! Wales 23 - 41 New Zealand (Ardie Savea)
64 mins. New Zealand are in the 22 again as the forwards take it in turns to smash it up before Savea dives over to further extend the lead despite Rowlands’s best efforts to hold the ball up.
Updated
60 mins. The All Blacks try to get their carrying game going in the middle of the park, with Shannon Frizzell taking a break from hitting women to have a run, before the ball is kicked towards the wing vacated by Sevu Reece who has also taken a break from assaulting women (gotta love the All Blacks’ famous “no dickheads” culture, eh?) to be replaced by Lienert-Brown.
Ioane is out there now, can’t grab the kick, and the attack breaks down.
Updated
57 mins. Tomos Williams has a quick tap from a penalty in the NZ half. He steps Smith and as he’s hauled down in the 22 he throws an offload to Tipuric who catches it with fingertips… but it was forward!
55 mins. Christ Tshiunza replaces Tommy Reffell for Wales. That sees Tipuric move to 7 and the sub playing 6, I think.
TRY! Wales 23 - 36 New Zealand (Aaron Smith)
53 mins. It was vital for Wales to keep the All Black out as a response to the latest try. They cannot do this as their exit from the restart isn’t great and as the visitors enter the 22 Savea throws an outrageous dummy at the ruck to go up to the line and feed Smith to score.
The Cardiff crowd has gone very quiet.
Updated
TRY! Wales 23- 29 New Zealand (Justin Tipuric)
50 mins. Lots to look at for the TMO after Tomos Williams puts a deliscious chip up on a penalty advantage. It floats towards Mo’unga in the 22 who can’t grab it under pressure from Priestland and Tipuric is first to the bobbling ball, grabs it and carries it over the line and grounds.
There’s a very long look at whether Priestland knocks it on – he didn’t. Ref Barnes then considerd whether Tipuric grounded it cleanly. The try was given on the field and Barnes can see no reason to overturn it!
Anscombe slots the two.
Updated
TRY! Wales 16 - 29 New Zealand (Aaron Smith)
46 mins. Aaron Smith drifts from base of scrum and steps through the line, leaving Reffell in his wake before he rounds Rees-Zammit to score. Great response from a class player and Wales’s one step forward, two steps backwards into a skip approach to this game continues.
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PENALTY! Wales 16 - 22 New Zealand (Gareth Anscombe)
44 mins. Wales drive up in the shadow of the posts and New Zealand infringe, allowing Anscombe slots a settling three points.
Nick Smith on for Gareth Thomas
42 mins. A loose pass in midfield for the All Blacks sees the ball hit the ground Tomos Williams hacks it forward into the 22. Beauden Barrett covers across and scoops it up elegantly with one hand, but his flamboyance to can nothing to prevent the chasing Faletau hammering him into touch near his own line
Second Half!
40 mins. Wales receive the kick and take a few phases to settle it before clearing.
Wales subs at half time. Alun-Wyn Jones is on for Adam Beard, and Dillon Lewis has replaced Tom Francis
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Why not enjoy this lovely moment
Here’s Rio Dyer’s debut score..
What a moment for Rio Dyer 🙌
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) November 5, 2022
His debut try caps off a brilliant Wales move! 👏#AutumnNationsSeries #WALvNZL pic.twitter.com/6PwnTdmEaR
Half Time musings.
That looked like it could’ve got away from Wales after 20 minutes, so credit for pulling themselves back into this with some Revenant style determination and some craft from Rio Dyer’s try. The message in the dressing room will be that despite being a bit rubbish for large parts of the half, they are starting the second half only 9-0 down.
It’s imperative that Wales stop the NZ carrying game as it is killing them either from straight up missed tackles – looking at you Will Rowlands and Justin Tipuric – or by the defence not doing enough to stop the big runs. This power is what makes it so difficult for Wales to stop the scores when the visitors get near to their line.
Half Time!
Peeeeeeeeep! That’s it for this half
PENALTY! Wales 13 - 22 New Zealand (Gareth Anscombe)
40 mins. Codie Taylor overthrows the lineout just in his own half to put his side under pressure when they had the chance to close the half out. Wales carry it forward and once again the NZ breakdown discipline isn’t great, allowing Anscombe to end the half with three points from the tee.
36 mins. New Zealand will continue to feel relaxed about whatever Wales throw at them when they know they are pretty much guaranteed to score each time the enter the home side’s 22.
TRY! Wales 10 - 22 New Zealand (Jordie Barrett)
35 mins. A few carries from the forwards driving towards the Wales lines sucks the defence in. This allows Mo’unga to cream a cross-kick towards the left touchline for the human telegraph pole Jordie Barrett to easily outjump Dyer, pluck it from the air and score.
Mo’unga slices the conversion horribly.
Updated
32 mins. A decent ten minute period for Wales has pulled them back into this game and if they can maintain their recent knack of not allowing NZ to score then it could get even better. They get their first chance to test this from an All Black lineout on the home 22.
Updated
PENALTY! Wales 10 - 17 New Zealand (Gareth Anscombe)
31 mins. Nick Tompkins has a pick and go from the base of a ruck and flies into the NZ 22, but his support can’t get close enough for him to get the ball away. Wales’ frustration is quelled when the All Blacks infringe again.
Anscombe calls for the tee and slots it.
28 mins. In another sign of things getting a little better for Wales, they repel an All Black attack in the 22 with a strong counter-ruck that leads Ethan de Groot to attempt to have a fight with Faletau. The Wales 8 treats the threat as nonchalantly as he treats every other part of international rugby.
TRY! Wales 7 - 17 New Zealand (Rio Dyer)
26 mins. From a lineout on the left touchline, Wales run a lovely pre-planned pattern that pulls the defence towards George North which allows debutant Rio Dyer to arc off his wing and take a pop pass on a lovely angle to run in from 10 metres. Lovely move, lovely moment for Rio Dyer.
Priestland converts.
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24 mins. Wales are up to 15 phases, nearly each one of which has been two passes out to an isolated runner that the NZ defence can deal with. They make little ground, but again the All Blacks are penalised in defence.
21 mins. In possession it’s again laboured for the Wales backs as Tompkins is caught in possession as there’s no support for him to offload to. Luckily NZ are offside at the breakdown and Wales will get a chance to attack the All Black 22 once more.
TRY! Wales 0 - 17 New Zealand (Codie Taylor)
18 mins. New Zealand have repeated carries close to the Wales line and it’s the hooker Taylor again who forces himself over from inches.
Mo’unga converts again.
Updated
16 mins. Tomos Williams dawdles picking the ball up at the base of the scrum, allowing Aaron Smith to get all over him like winter liniment. The ball is back in NZ hands and Wales are offside as they try to recover.
Oh dear. So many unforced nonsense from the home side.
13 mins. Rio Dyer’s brilliant chase from the restart wins the ball back for Wales, but the wet conditions see the ball slipping out of Tomas Francis’s hands as he goes to put a carry in. This is compounded in the resulting scrum as the Wales front row in penalised.
Wales get zero from their first foray near the NZ 22.
11 mins. Wales need to get hold of this quick. They’ve looked OK on the ball, but the real worry is that each time NZ have had some possession in the red half, it’s resulted in points.
TRY! Wales 0 - 10 New Zealand (Codie Taylor)
10 mins. Savea wins a turnover at the breakdown, then Dalton Papali’i has an absolutely nothing carry around halfway turned into a worldie by some abysmal tackling by two Welsh defenders. He rumbles up a full 20 metres and puts his side on the attack in the Wales 22 and a few phases later on the right Taylor bustles over from short.
Mo’unga converts.
Updated
7 mins. A decent touch is found from his own 22 by Anscombe, and from the following All Black catch and drive Wales do a solid defensive job and drive them into touch. Tomos Williams takes a quick line out and Rees-Zammit and North probe on the left but can’t quite get away.
PENALTY! Wales 0 - 3 New Zealand (Richie Mo'unga)
3 mins. The All Black ten puts his side in front
Updated
3 mins. Wales run a clever loop move on the right that almost puts George North away, but at the breakdown it’s untidy and the Welsh clearout is penalised. From the resulting NZ pen, the ball is won from a lineout and Wales are again penalised at the breakdown. Not a great start with on the discipline front.
Kick Off!
1 mins. Ref Wayne Barnes blasts us underway. New Zealand securely receive the ball and Aaron Smith kick is clear.
A lovely tribute to Eddie Butler and Phil Bennett, both lost since Wales last appeared at home, is played on the stadium screens before the anthems are unleashed.
Here come the teams, the All Blacks leading the way with a gentle jog, before the stadium fires up Metallica and the pyrotechnics to accompany Wales’s march on under the closed roof.
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Pre-match reading
As mentioned previously, Gareth Anscombe is back as a starter. Read more about it here…
Get in touch!
Let me have all your thoughts, feelings and preferred boiled egg methods on the email or tweet @bloodandmud
Teams
Wayne Pivac’s hopes of bringing back Leigh Halfpenny to bring some sure-handedness to the fullback position have been scuppered by a failed late fitness test in the build up; this moves Gareth Anscombe into the 15 shirt, Rhys Priestland to 10, and Scarlets tyro Sam Costelow to the bench. Elsewhere in the backs, young Dragons flyer Rio Dyer makes his debut on the wing. In the forwards, new captain Justin Tipuric is on the blindside as Tommy Reffell continues in the seven shirt and veteran hooker Ken Owens returns.
All three Barrett brothers start for the All Blacks, with Beauden preferred at fullback Jordie finds himself in a unfamiliar centre spot as Ian Foster attemtps to fix a too often misfiring midfield. Scott remains at lock.
Wales: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 George North, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Tommy Refell, 6 Justin Tipuric (captain), 5 Adam Beard, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gareth Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Christ Tshiunza, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Owen Watkin.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Shannon Frizzell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Samuel Whitelock (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Brad Weber, 22 David Havili, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown.
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Preamble
Welcome to Cardiff where Wales are gearing up for their latest attempt to beat New Zealand in 69 long years; a streak that includes 32 matches and 23 Wales coaches.
In fact, that last win was so long ago it was 13 years prior to the WRU even bothering to appoint a national head coach. Thus, by the outcome measure of defeating the All Blacks every single Wales head coach - from David Nash in 1967 to Wayne Pivac up to today – has been worse than having no coach at all. Something for the WRU board to think about, perhaps. Llanelli have beaten the All Blacks more than Wales in the intervening period; but you wouldn’t know as they like to keep that on the downlow and hardly mention it.
What chance of that elusive win today?
New Zealand are not exactly riding their usual wave of dominance following a patchy 2022 and question marks aplently still around coach Ian Foster. But, some of that was true the last time the sides met and the All Blacks won 54-16.
Facing an NZ squad on a downward or at least plateauing curve at the end of a long southern hemisphere season at home in Cardiff, is the best possible context to shoot for that first win in yonks. Still feels a tall order, though.
