Match report:
As we expected, I suppose, Wales couldn’t hold on as New Zealand threw wave after wave of world-class on from the bench. The final score doesn’t reflect what a phenomenal first 60 minutes Wales had – Warburton, AW Jones, Liam Williams and North were all outstanding – but New Zealand did what they always do, kept cool heads and restricted the Welsh to just three points in the second half while scoring 24 of their own (and they should have been awarded another try on top of that).
Wales get to do it all again next Saturday. Lucky them. In the meantime, Richard Parkin all the way over in Australia has the MBM of Australia v England. Cheers for reading. Bye!
Conversion (Cruden 80) & Full time: New Zealand 39-21 Wales
Cruden swings it through from out wide and that’s your lot.
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Try! (Harris 80) New Zealand 37-21 Wales
Wales knocked it on at the breakdown there so we have a scrum to New Zealand, just outside the Welsh 22 as the hooter goes. Tamanivalu uses his strength to smash through a couple of tackles, Crockett and Faumuina carry it on and Nathan Harris, the replacement hooker, bundles over in the corner.
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80 min North is back up but limping. We have 30 seconds to go.
79 min Free-kick to Wales and Gareth Williams goes quickly, before Rob Evans drives it on. It’s knocked on the floor though and, out of no space at all, Ben Smith bursts away and takes his side out the 22. They go left and Naholo makes 45 metres, skinning North but covered well by Amos. The Northampton wing is down still, but Wales win the turnover.
78 min This scrum can go down as many times as it likes. I need to take a break, such has been the pace of this match.
76 min It’s probably too late now, but Biggar finds touch on the right on the 22 with an outstanding kick. Tuipulotu steals it once again, before Barrett kicks the ball away. Scott Williams boots it ahead, chases and drives the covering Crotty back over his own line. Scrum five to Wales.
75 min Faumuina wins the turnover though and New Zealand come looking for try no5. Savea concedes a penalty for holding on though.
75 min Tamanivalu comes on for Fekitoa, Harris for Coles. Ball is on for Bradley Davies, Gareth Davies is on for Rhys Webb. I think Tomas Francis might also be on. From the scrum Wales go right and North charges up to halfway.
74 min Kicked away and New Zealand attack with the field broken up. Crotty and Naholo go down the left before they move it back right and Cruden slips into space again, but there was a knock-on along the way. Scrum Wales 10 metres outside their 22.
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73 min Cruden kicks the penalty to touch but Moriarty steals the lineout and Wales rumble up to halfway.
72 min Gareth Davies kicks ahead from the scrum and Faletau collects, scorching over into the corner. Wales are ecstatic but the TMO reveals the No8 to have been a good five metres in front of the kicker. Wayne Barnes acknowledges reality this time.
72 min They move it right and Cruden glides beautifully through a gap. He offloads to Perenara, who appears to be on for Aaron Smith, and the scrum-half goes over from 30 metres. We go to the TMO to check for a forward pass and, even though it’s clearly not – that’s a good two feet backwards – Wayne Barnes says it is. Despite the clear evidence to the contrary. That’s a shocker from Barnes but whatever gets him on TV.
71 min But New Zealand win the turnover and Cruden chips into space. Scott Williams busts a lung chasing back but just gets there ahead of Barrett with no full-back at home. It’s returned to touch on the right, midway inside the New Zealand half.
70 min Wales heads still aren’t dropping though and Scott Williams makes ground, up to the 22 running on the angle. Recycled to North who uses his immense strength to drive through three men and make more ground. They go left now and Jon Davies flicks it on to Amos...
Converted try! (Read 68 + Cruden con) New Zealand 32-21 Wales
Now they go through the phases – they’ve been so much better at retaining the ball since A Savea came on for Cane. Suddenly there’s a gap though: Smith fires it to Tuipolotu, who draws Anscombe and gives it to Read to crash over for what must be the winning score.
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67 min Slow ball from the lineout...
Refereeing is like taking sides re EU. You're not sure if you're right or wrong but tweeters, even less informed, are certain @DanLucas86
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 11, 2016
66 min New Zealand scrum on their own 10 metre line. Cruden kicks it into space on the left and Anscombe and Naholo go haring after it. The former gets their first but can only tap it into touch, just outside his 22.
65 min The noise in Auckland is huge now. Aaron Smith kicks long from the back of the scrum and Liam Williams comes back but knocks on. Jenkins, Owens, Roberts, Liam Williams off; Evans, Baldwin, Scott Williams, Anscombe on.
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64 min From the restart – deep this time – Aaron Smith smacks it back into touch on the left midway inside his own half. The ball goes loose from the lineout though and Owens has it! Wales drive up towards the 22 but Crotty and Read hit Roberts hard enough to force the knock-on. Anscombe is coming on for Liam Williams.
Yes it's a try (and Cruden conversion)! New Zealand 25-21 Wales
Yep no problem with that says the TMO. It was a very sharp finish from the wing.
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Try? (Naholo 62)
Savea Jr comes off the back of the maul and drives to within five metres. They reset and it’s the new openside who goes again to within one. Wales cling on, but we go back for a penalty to the All Blacks for offside. They go quickly and Naholo darts low towards the line and surely he’s over here?
61 min Taken in, fired back to Biggar by Webb and they fly-half finds touch on the right, albeit still a metre inside his own 22. Coles finds Read. and they get the maul going.
60 min Right they go now but Barrett and Cruden are stopped, the latter by a huge hit from Jenkins. They come back left and Roberts comes flying out the line to concede the overlap, allowing Naholo to fly at Liam Williams; the full-back can’t quite stop him but Owens comes across to tackle him into touch with a crucial tackle. Well played him. Ardie Savea on for Cane.
59 min Terrible kick from Cruden, which doesn’t have anything like the legs. Jon Davies returns but Naholo comes flying back and finds Fekitoa.
57 min But it’s stolen by Tuipulotu and New Zealand fire it wide allowing Barrett to surge up to halfway. I have a feeling I may have called Beauden Barrett “Brad” at some point, so apologies if I did. AWJ concedes a penalty for not rolling away and Cruden will have a shot at goal from wide on the right, 42 metres out.
57 min Biggar kicks to touch on the 22, on the right.
56 min Read takes at the back and forms the maul. Smith kicks ahead once again straight to North and Wales get a penalty as Coles fails to roll away from the contact area. New Zealand have kicked far, far too much ball away today.
@guardian_sport @DanLucas86 @guardian Tension running high in the coaches box. pic.twitter.com/z9HUY67zly
— Kirirau_kōrero_tara (@citizen_parable) June 11, 2016
55 min Barrett and Tuipulotu take it up over halfway with some nice stepping before Fekitoa goes through a gap. Cruden chips ahead, Biggar takes it on the full, calls the mark and sends a wonderful clearance to touch over the All Black 10 metre line.
54 min Patrick Tuipilotu is on for Luke Romano for New Zealand, who get a lineout on the Welsh 10 metre line. They work it inside then back out to Naholo but this time North stops him. Crockett drives on though and New Zealand get to the 22 before Barrett slips a kick through, but North reads it perfectly and Webb can clear.
Penalty (Biggar 53) New Zealand 18-21 Wales
Wide on the right this time but Biggar sends it straight through! Glenn Frey’s The Heat is On rings out.
52 min Cruden goes shallow and North catches the bouncing ball before slicing through into the 22! They recycle left when he’s just stopped short by a great tackle from Barrett but, when it becomes apparent there’s no advantage, we go back for a late hit on Webb. Another chance for Biggar.
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51 min From 15 metres in from touch on the right and on the 10 metre line, Biggar pushes it just wide left. Alun Wyn Jones returns to the fray.
49 min Crockett replaces Moody in the New Zealand front row. From the restart, Aaron Smith clears to touch on the left on his own 10 metre line. Moriarty takes it at the front and gets a penalty as Romano gets an arm across him in the air.
Penalty (Cruden 48) New Zealand 18-18 Wales
Cruden chips it over from 10 metres out.
47 min Now New Zealand work it into centre field and Cruden slips and steps to within a couple of metres. They recycle and A Smith sends a brilliant wide pass to Fekitoa, only for Webb to slide across and make the try-saving tackle. We go back for an offside under the sticks though.
46 min Cruden kicks across to the left looking for Naholo but Liam Williams gets across to cover and the wing fumbles it into touch. Faumuina is on for Owen Franks. Back to the match and Webb clears, New Zealand run through and Liam Williams is unable to gather Cruden’s grubber kick...
Alun Wyn Jones is off for what I assume to be an HIA. He’ll be a huge loss if he can’t return. Jake Ball takes his place.
45 min Moriarty knocks on under a high ball and New Zealand get the scrum just inside the Welsh half.
44 min Webb goes left to Amos, who runs into contact on halfway. Wales recycle well and Biggar goes high; Barrett takes but North was clearly obstructed. That goes unnoticed by the officials though. Passed back into the 22 and Ben Smith kicks ahead, Williams returning.
43 min The scrums have stood up well so far in this match and this one is no exception. New Zealand fire it right but Ben Smith knocks on. Savea is replaced by Barrett, who will move to full-back. Brian Adams’ excellent tune Run To You rings out. Shut up, it’s better than Together Stronger.
42 min The All Blacks rumble over halfway before Wayne Barnes spots that AWJ took a bash to the head when Franks charged forward and stops the game immediately. Good refereeing from Barnes, that. We’ll restart with a scrum to New Zealand, dead centre, five metres inside the Welsh half.
41 min Biggar gets us going again, no changes at half-time as far as I can see. Aaron Smith box kicks back and Liam Williams looks to hustle down the right. There’s no space there so they go left, but New Zealand win the turnover.
“Morning Dan. Cocktails on me if Wales win,” writes – of course – Simon McMahon. “A Bloody Mary or Gin Fizz always goes down smooth around mid morning I find.”
Peeep!! Here we go again. “Somewhere, Nicky Wire is reaching for a pen and paper,” writes Matt Dony.
@DanLucas86 dont be 2 hard on yourself NZ will kick in2 gear in the 2nd half & tear Wales a new 1! Heavy legs around 60mins & NZ will pounce
— Toniwater (@Toniwater) June 11, 2016
It’s going to take an effort for the ages for Wales to keep that up. It wasn’t so much technique as ferocity that has seen them dominate the breakdown – I counted 13 turnovers in that half. To keep smashing the All Blacks so hard on an end-of-season tour is incredible.
That shows what I know. Wales appear to have kidnapped the Argentinian rugby team and played some thrilling stuff: Warburton is giving Cane a kicking at the breakdown and North and Liam Williams have countered like lightning made men (come on, this doesn’t happen often so allow me the hyperbole). Back in 10.
Half-time New Zealand 15-18 Wales
From the lineout Aaron Smith boots it into touch. Well well well.
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40 min From the scrum Jon Davies steps and goes to within a couple of metres. Left and Moriarty can’t quite get there but Jones is in with the clearout. They burrow towards the line and move back inside, but Faletau is absolutely smashed. Still they come though and move it left, but New Zealand stay with them well and Amos drifts into touch.
39 min Free-kick to Wales as New Zealand don’t fully engage. No me neither. They’re going to take another scrum right under the New Zealand posts.
Ah no, it was knocked forward by Aaron Smith on to Davies before bobbling over the line, while the two grappled with each other going for the loose ball. Scrum five to Wales...
38 min Biggar chips it down the middle and Jonathan Davies goes haring after it. Aaron Smith spills it back over his own line and Ben Smith slides across before Davies can get there. It looks like the Welshman was held back...
37 min Taken in by Davies and Wales form the maul. Webb goes short side and pops to North, who carries it into the New Zealand 22. Where the hell has this Wales team been since October?
36 min Left they go and there’s a huge mess at the ruck. Wayne Barnes has no idea what’s happening so gives nothing and eventually Warburton fetches it back on the Welsh side and North gets away from the 22. Coles goes off his feet on the Welsh 10 metre line and Biggar sends it to touch down the right.
35 min New Zealand have had 70% of the territory, but conceded 12 turnovers. It shows you just how brilliant Wales have been at the breakdown and counterattacking. Liam Williams and Naholo have both been electrifying so far.
Biggar clears up to halfway from the scrum and Aaron Smith carries it back. They recycle before spinning it out to Naholo, who is just unable to shrug off Amos.
34 min Through six phases the forwards go before firing it left. Coles spills it forwards though after taking his eye off the ball.
33 min Oh brilliant take from Read at the stabbed restart! At full stretch he grabs it and gets New Zealand on the front foot. Moved inside and they pick and go inside the 22.
Conversion (Biggar 32) New Zealand 15-18 Wales
Biggar chips over and once again your MBMer looks like a right chump.
Try! (Webb 31) New Zealand 15-16 Wales
The ball shoots out the side of a ruck in midfield with no one on the New Zealand side noticing and Moriarty hacks ahead. Ben Smith kicks it back but Liam Williams steps brilliantly through the middle yet again. He offloads to Webb, who has just enough pace to shrug off Fekitoa and stretch to the line!
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30 min Biggar clears to touch down the left and New Zealand will have a lineout 13 metres inside the Wales half.
29 min Romano takes it and New Zealand form the maul before Aaron Smith goes high and everyone misreads the ball. Back into New Zealand hands it goes and again they get Naholo away down the right. He really does have frightening pace and gets to within 10 metres before the ball is knocked loose of his grasp.
28 min Biggar sends it to touch down the left, just over the 10 metre line. AWJ taps down and Roberts goes on the crash ball, but this time knocks on and Ben Smith sears down the left. It’s quickly turned over though and North tries to get away, but he’s hunted down and into touch. North has looked deadly today.
27 min Can we take a moment to breathe, guys? No. Crotty turns Biggar into a smear on the turf inside the Welsh 22, but somehow Wales keep the ball. Webb sends it high and Amos taps it back, then Wales get a penalty midway inside their own half for New Zealand’s failure to roll away from the ensuing ruck.
Penalty (Biggar 26) New Zealand 15-11 Wales
From 30 metres out and just to the left, Biggar sends it twix the posts.
24 min Amos looks to chip cutely over the top but Cane takes on halfway. Wales win the turnover though and Liam Williams goes through a gap! He tries to kick ahead; it’s blocked by the foot of Ben Smith but ricochets into a Kiwi hand and Wales have another penalty. The tempo of this match is ridiculous.
23 min Read takes it New Zealand smash their way towards the 22. Aaron Smith knocks on though and Webb kicks the advantage away. Ben Smith then sends a beautiful low touch-finder into touch on the 22 but Wales go quickly and burst up the right flank through Roberts. Inside to Davies but he can’t find the supporting runner and New Zealand clear. Whew.
22 min Liam Williams is wrapped up after taking it in his 22 but they get it back to Jonathan Davies, who uses that big left boot to send it up to his own 10 metre line and into touch.
Penalty (Biggar 21) New Zealand 15-8 Wales
Over it goes and Wales are within a score.
20 min A Smith clears, L Williams looks to run back but he’s stopped on halfway. Biggar goes on and into a massive collision with Read. Nothing coming here but there is a penalty for offside against Fekitoa. Biggar will have a crack at goal from just inside New Zealand territory.
Converted try! (Naholo 18 + Cruden con) New Zealand 15-5 Wales
Jones secures it at the lineout and Biggar goes high, but this time Ben Smith takes cleanly and goes away from his own 22! This is ridiculous, it’s popped to Cruden and he picks Naholo cutting inside from the right. In seconds the All Blacks have gone 80 metres and under the posts.
17 min Read is taken high at the restart but Wayne Barnes sees nowt wrong with it. Hmm. Aaron Smith puts it up high and the ball bounces into Welsh hands. They go right and North goes flying down the wing, handing off Savea with ease! His offload goes loose though and the ball is bundled into touch.
16 min From wide on the left, Cruden hooks his kick and 8-5 it remains.
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Try! (Savea 15) New Zealand 8-5 Wales
Retallick taps it down but the ball is scrappy and New Zealand have to reset. Lovely hands from Fekitoa send it wide to Naholo and he scorches down the right before giving it back inside to the centre, who offloads to Crotty. New Zealand up to within five in a flash and they recycle left. Cruden sends it high and Savea gathers in goal on the left before dotting down for his 39th try in 42 matches.
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13 min Webb pops it forwards to Roberts but Barnes lets it go and Bradley Davies drives on. Wales keeping it tight, but then Faletau is pinged for crossing. That was a good scrum from Wales though. Cruden clears to touch down the left, around 10 metres inside the Welsh half.
12 min Webb returns the restart to Ben Smith on the 10 metre line but the full-back’s pass inside is perhaps half a foot short of Naholo and the wing knocks on poorly under no pressure. Welsh scrum 12 metres inside the New Zealand half.
11 min Biggar pushes the conversion wide but that was a brilliant try from Wales. North and Biggar drew their men brilliantly to create the overlap.
Matt Dony writes: “Right, not wanting to dwell on that other sport, but I have to point out you are very wrong regarding Together Stronger. It’s so much of what’s good about the Manics combined with so much of what’s good about football songs. And if it doesn’t make you want to shout ‘Hal Robson-Kanu’, then you’re dead inside. Seeing them in the Liberty the other week, it stood up nicely alongside their canon. (But, yes, Lifeblood was toilet.) All Blacks by 10, unfortunately. Wales within one score until the last ten minutes.”
Try! (Faletau 9) New Zealand 3-5 Wales
Chipped ahead and Smith spills it! Wales have it on the 22 and go right to Liam Williams, who slips round Naholo. Wales have numbers left and sling it left, with Coles pulled out of the line and causing an overlap, and Faletau finishes it with aplomb in the corner!
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8 min Solid enough from Wales on the scrum and Roberts, quelle surprise, crashes it up. They recycle but then Retallick slams Jones a long way back and Wales have retreated into their own half.
6 min Biggar restarts with a shallow kick to the right but New Zealand claim it. Retallick looks to drive up from the 10 metre line but knocks on and we have our first scrum. It’ll be interesting to see how Gethin Jenkins goes after Rob Evans had an excellent Six Nations.
Penalty (Cruden 5) New Zealand 3-0 Wales
This one’s right in front, 30 metres out and easy as they come for Cruden.
4 min Biggar kicks long and Ben Smith runs it back to halfway. Naholo jinks and makes good ground, breaking the tackle as New Zealand have done with alarming regularity so far. Left and Aaron Smith snipes round the short side, up to the 22. They recycle and Cruden kicks across for Naholol; it’s into touch but Wales were offside further back.
3 min Well, Cruden – not the greatest goal-kicker in Kiwi history and with 52% for the Chiefs this season – is going to have a pop at goal from around four metres inside the Welsh half, 15 in from the left. It’s a decent effort but comes back off the post, into New Zealand hands. Right they go, then left and Cruden stabs the kick through to the in-goal area, but Liam Williams is across to ground it before Read can get there. He gets a bash on the head for his trouble.
1 min Taken in just outside the 22 and Wales, slowly, recycle it left. Biggar clears to Ben Smith and they go left to Savea, who steps past one tackle and crosses halfway. Crotty takes it on and New Zealand get a penalty for hands in the ruck from AWJ.
PEEEP! Wayne Barnes – damn it – gives the signal and Aaron Cruden gets this summer’s rugby under way!
Anthems watch: 1-0 to Wales!
Perhaps I’m overegging the All Blacks? I haven’t seen a massive amount of Super Rugby – indeed the other potential debutant on the New Zealand bench, Seta Tamanivalu, isn’t someone I really know anything much about other than that he’s another big centre – so do Wales have a chance of an upset*? It’d be some way for Alun Wyn Jones to mark his 100th cap.
@DanLucas86 ABs vulnerable. 1st test often clumsy, SuperRugby has bn poor o/s NZ. WRU need bounce of ball/ref. Wales win wd be gd for both.
— Kirirau_kōrero_tara (@citizen_parable) June 11, 2016
*Nah.
And here’s our first prediction of the day, courtesy of John McEnerney.
@DanLucas86 Can Wales live with the intensity NZ bring? 4 a while yes around the hour mark we'll see the AB's step up a gear. 15+ NZ!
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) June 11, 2016
You’re optimistic. All Blacks by 30 for me.
Perhaps the most terrifying thing about this New Zealand side is that they have TWO Saveas in the squad. We all know what Julian is capable of by now, but his brother Ardie, on the bench and ready to make his debut, has been in outstanding form for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby this season and there are some who would have him in the side ahead of Sam Cane at No7.
Ahhh that’s better.
Sadly for Wales, the Manics haven’t done a dreadful song for the rugby team. I mean really, this is worse than Lifeblood.
This is, of course, our first look at New Zealand since the World Cup final in October. How are they shaping up? Gerard Meagher has the answer.
Preamble
Morning/afternoon/evening/whatever, folks. I come bearing good news for Wales fans (courtesy of my colleague Niall McVeigh): you lot might be 80-1 to win Euro 2016, but a mere 25-1 to win this bilateral series! New Zealand have lost a quartet of cap centurions and can no longer call upon two of the greatest players of the professional era. This. Is. On.
Of course, Wales need to be wary, as Paul Rees writes. New Zealand may be in transition but they are the best sports side on the planet at transitioning. And are the World Champions. And still have 720 caps among their 23 today. And have never lost to Wales in New Zealand. Or at all since 1953. And Wales - who have, in fact, never won in New Zealand against anyone - have only won three of their last 12 matches. And were terrible in the end-of-season friendly defeat to England’s second string. And are still playing a woefully outdated game that’s overly reliant on Jamie Roberts breaking the gainline, to the extent that some think Warren Gatland’s time might just about be up. This is, er, on?
Let’s face it, very few people expect Wales to win a Test out here. If they can keep the All Blacks to under 40 they’ve probably not done too badly. If New Zealand win it by 60+ then there aren’t many who will be shocked. Ah well. Kick-off is at 8.35am BST, or 7.35pm Auckland time. Here are your teams.
New Zealand
Ben Smith; Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekitoa, Ryan Crotty, Julian Savea; Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Joe Moody.
Replacements Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Seta Tamanivalu.
Wales
Liam Williams; George North, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Hallam Amos; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt), Ross Moriarty, Alun Wyn Jones, Bradley Davies, Samson Lee, Ken Owens, Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements Scott Baldwin, Rob Evans, Tomas Francis, Jake Ball, Ellis Jenkins, Gareth Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Scott Williams.
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