Best for Wales not to dwell on that too long. These guys have been playing rugby non-stop for a year now. New Zealand are fresher, New Zealand are a better rugby team than anyone on the planet. Hell they’re a better sports team than any one on the planet. Excellent as Wales have been on this tour, you always feared New Zealand could give them a pasting like this.
That’s it then, a 3-0 series whitewash (or blackwash) for the hosts. Let’s be honest, no one really expected anything else. Cheers for all your emails and tweets throughout. Bye!
Conversion (Barrett) & full-time: New Zealand 46-6 Wales
It’s over, Wales. It’s all over now.
Try! (Dagg 80+4) New Zealand 44-6 Wales
Penalty Wales at the scrum. No one really cares what for (illegal wheeling) as the pain is nearly, nearly over. G Davies taps and they go for one last push for a first score since the first quarter of the match. The All Blacks’ defence is a tidal wave washing over them though. Priestland kicks and New Zealand try the counter, but Barrett offloads straight to Liam Williams on the 22. Ball gives it left to Jonathan Davies who carries it into the 22. Faletau makes the burst but it’s turned over and... ah. Israel Dagg sprints the length of the pitch to score in the corner.
80 min Time for one final flourish? Read and Kerr-Barlow exchange passes before they go wide to Barrett, who’s tackled by Jon Davies. Left now and Ben Smith sends a wide pass that’s very nearly picked off by Williams! It’s not though and New Zealand go into contact, forming a maul in midfield and getting held up. Scrum Wales as the hooter goes.
78 min Faletau off the back and G Davies wriggles through down the right, making ground. Back left they go but knock on in midfield. Scrum All Blacks.
77 min Wales get a scrum when the ball goes loose in the, er, tight. And from said scrum, they get a free-kick. And from said free-kick, they get 10 metres as Read is overenthusiastic in making the tackle. Wales opt for a scrum on halfway.
76 min Gareth Davies clears and now New Zealand come back, but Williams wraps up Savea. Sopoaga chips over the top and Barrett collects, but Baldwin is alert to the danger and for once Wales manage to prevent Barrett from making the break.
74 min The scrum is a mess but Wales just about keep the ball. Williams clears from behind his own line and Naholo takes it into contact on the Wales 10 metre line. Romano drives it up the middle then Dagg and Cane exchange passes, but the former loses it in the double tackle from Priestland and Davies. It’s gone messy now: that’s the 15th handling error from New Zealand.
72 min Coles overthrows and the ball goes loose. Sopoaga gathers it and dives over, alas with the ball between his legs after knocking on. Aaron Smith and Coles are off, Taylor and Kerr-Barlow taking their places.
71 min Gareth Davies is caught by Aaron Smith but Wales retain it and Jon Davies sends a long kick straight to Dagg. Back come New Zealand, swinging it left and looking for space. Penalty to the All Blacks for Jenkins’ – I think – failure to roll away. Sopoaga finds touch on the left, just six metres out from the Welsh line. It’s going to be a long nine minutes for Warren Gatland’s men.
70 min Wales are reeling backwards towards their own line even in possession. There’s a kiwi hand in there though and it spills the ball forwards. Jenkins comes on for Warburton.
69 min Turnover and New Zealand run it. Dagg tears Jonathan Davies a new one out wide and scorches up to the 22, before being just taken into touch by Williams. The wing has hurt himself there. What a tour he’s had: you’d have him in a Lions XV today without question.
68 min Really scrappy stuff with both sides coughing up possession, but Wales end up with it on the right on the 10 metre line. Wide they go again and Moriarty is tackled well by Barrett near the touchline. More phases.
67 min The fly-half is wrapped up in midfield but Wales still have it. They look, understandably, done in now but they continue to plug away, going through hte phases around halfway before going left and allowing Davies to gain ground out wide.
66 min Ball takes it and Wales form the maul. They get a penalty too as [All Black] slips his bind and rejoins illegally. Priestland finds touch on the left.
65 min Ball takes it and Priestland looks to go through a gap, but he’s tackled and turned. Sapoaga kicks ahead but the ball bobbles into touch on the right, on the 22. Romano comes on for Retallick.
64 min Aaron Smith takes the restart and thumps it into touch on the left, nine metres inside his own half.
Conversion (Barrett 64) New Zealand 39-6 Wales
Slotted.
Try! (Coles 63) New Zealand 37-6 Wales
Left they go, Coles is on Cane’s shoulder and takes the pop pass to go over from 10. Easy as you like.
62 min Scott Williams steps and gets out of the 22. They go right and Priestland drops it so New Zealand go right. Barrett switches back inside and Squire slips through a gap with a lovely step. Up to within 10 now...
61 min Squire barrells through Warburton and out of the 22 before Smith kicks long. Back come Wales with ball in hand but it’s another turnover. Naholo immediately gives possession back though.
60 min On comes Jake Ball for Charteris. Gareth Davies is on for Webb too, by the looks of things. From the scrum, Faletau is caught and does well to retain possession. Priestland stabs his kick to touch just outside the New Zealand 22.
59 min Priestland is on for Biggar as a blood replacement. From the restart Sapoala turns Jon Davies inside out and nearly slips through, but the Welshman catches him and forces the knock on.
Conversion (Barrett 59) New Zealand 32-6 Wales
From the same position as his last conversion, Barrett just about squeezes it over. 22 points for him now.
Try! (Barrett 57) New Zealand 30-6 Wales
Barrett finds touch on the 22 once again as Baldwin replaces Owens. From the lineout it goes right and Sapoaga slips it to Barrett running an arc outside him. Biggar can’t catch him and over he slides for his second try!
Updated
56 min Sopoaga for Crockett, Liam Squire for Dixon for New Zealand and Sam Cane returns from the sin-bin. Ben Smith is at 12, Naholo 13, Barrett 15, Dagg on the wing and Sapoaga at fly-half. New Zealand get a penalty at the scrum.
55 min Again Wales have to face the New Zealand runners. Aaron Smith tries a cute pass out the back of his hand to Savea, in off his wing, but the ball goes loose and it’s a Welsh scrum just inside their own half. More All Blacks changes coming by the looks of things.
54 min Scott Williams comes on for Jamie Roberts as New Zealand secure the lineout on halfway. Dixon wriggles through a gap but spills it under pressure. Wales go left and Lee’s pass is so nearly plucked off by Read on the 22. Biggar eventually clears to touch on the right.
53 min Just about taken by Charteris on the Welsh 10 metre line. Webb kicks high and Biggar slaps it back, but the assistant referee adjudges him not to have kept it in play. He’s wrong about that.
52 min Whitelock takes and they form the maul, Dixon peeling off it sharply and popping to Aaron Smith. Barrett kicks across and Ben Smith collects. They recycle and now Barrett kicks left, but Liam Williams calls the mark and clears. Back they come and Dagg’s chip goes out on the full on the right. Crockett and the debutant Tu’ungafasi come on for New Zealand.
51 min Penalty to New Zealand for offside, on halfway. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Barrett sticks it in touch on the left, midway inside the Welsh 22.
50 min Moala’s impressive day is done, which means Naholo is on at centre. From the lineout Davies kicks ahead and Ben Smith returns with a kick to space in the 22. Biggar goes back and kicks to back and now the ABs have a run, with Naholo looking for space near halfway. It’s a bit scrappy at the moment.
Still 49 min Barrett clears to touch on the left near halfway. Moala is receiving treatment at the moment so New Zealand are down to 13 for the time being.
49 min Ignore that, it is a lineout.
49 min Oh hold on, there appears to have been a knock-on in the tight just before then so it’s a scrum.
48 min Roberts crashes it up at the eighth phase but the All Blacks’ depleted defence is working well: Moriarty is driven back to the 22 by a double tackle. Liam Williams has a go down the outside but is dragged into touch by Savea.
47 min Wales make changes at prop, Jarvis and Lee on for Evans and Francis. Faletau takes the lineout at the tail under pressure from Dixon.
46 min Faumunia takes it on the 22 and New Zealand go right, Dagg kicking ahead but straight to Amos. Back inside and Wales get a penalty on halfway after a crunching tackle from Retallick. Cane pulled down Webb off the ball though and is sent to the sin-bin. Biggar to touch on the right, inside the 22.
Conversion (Barrett 46) New Zealand 25-6 Wales
Over it goes from 15 metres in on the right and Barrett takes his personal tally to 15 points.
Try! (Barrett 44) New Zealand 23-6 Wales
Inside it comes and Barrett is smacked by Biggar... but then just bounces over the line for the simplest of tries! That’s terrible tackling.
43 min It does feel as though the Welsh backs are going to be stretched beyond breaking point rather soon.
42 min Right they go and Moala, then Ben Smith have a look but there’s no gap. Aaron Smith finds one on the left and Crotty gets up to the five metre line, but Liam Williams has won the turnover. They go left, running from behind their own line but Jon Davies passes it forward and the result is, given advantage was called over, a five-metre scrum to New Zealand. Could have gone better for Wales, that.
41 min Thumped down the middle by Smith and Patchell returns with a high one, but Barrett spills it and Wales have possession midway inside their own half. Biggar goes high now and this time Savea does take it to cheers before releasing Dagg down the left. He goes left to Dixon who can’t get to the line.
Peeeeep! With a swish of Dan Biggar’s boot and to the strains of Sloop John B, we’re back under way. Whitelock takes it near the 10 metre line.
Half-time emails dept.
Matt Dony writes: “I shall be watching the football at a beer festival in Cardigan, so no cocktails needed there. However, I think you’ll find that last week’s 14 point loss comes within the 15 point promised-cocktail-threshold. At this time of the morning, a Bloody Mary, please. I’m not watching the game this morning anymore. Can’t face any more brave defeats. Instead, introducing my 4 yr old to Glastonbury highlights.”
Here are the Euro 2016 group stage highlights:
Meanwhile here’s John McEnerney: “Morning Dan, just wondering does Simon McMahon have the Tom Cruise classic Cocktail playing on the loop in his gaff. He sure does love his cocktails that McMahon lad. The Long Island Iced Tea is my personal fave I find it works after a win a loss or a draw or in this case a Blackwash. We took a 60 point hiding off the AB’s in 2012 & went on to win back to back 6N’s & ran NZ close the following year. Welsh fans get stuck into the best cocktail of all, Guinness. Top coverage as always Dan.”
Cheers John.
Updated
What a chance that was for Wales right at the end. The line was begging for Amos but he couldn’t hold on. You fear New Zealand are going to make the Welsh pay for that. Back in 10.
Half-time: New Zealand 18-6 Wales
Moala goes through a gap and kicks ahead, but Savea can’t keep it in play tight to the touchline.
40 min Right it goes to the returned Liam Williams, who slips when looking to step back inside Savea. Left they go and Roberts is so close to muscling his way over as he brushes off Cane! Left they go but Amos drops it and New Zealand are going to counter...
39 min Wales have taken the five metre scrum.
38 min Wales pile into the breakdown, piling towards the line while New Zealand refuse to commit too many men. Penalty Wales for New Zealand going off their feet.
37 min Biggar sticks it in the bottom right hand corner and Charteris breaks off the maul, with a momentary sight of the line. He’s dragged down five metres short.
36 min New Zealand form the maul at the restart and Aaron Smith kicks high, Patchell taking it on halfway. Penalty Wales at the breakdown, Cane not rolling away once again.
Michael Hunt writes: “Also as a slightly more rugby question, in the era of Hawkeye, I’ve never understood why the cameras aren’t timesynced in some terms so that several can be watched at once. For dubious tries there is always one shot showing the grounding and another showing a knee in touch or something but neither showing both. Can it really be that difficult to show both at the same time?” I have absolutely no idea. Hope that helps.
Conversion (Barrett 35) New Zealand 18-6 Wales
Adds the extras.
Try! (Moala 34) New Zealand 16-6 Wales
Whew. Dagg goes round Patchell with ease and passes inside to A Smith. The scrum-half loops a massive pass inside to Read, taking out the entire Welsh defence and they have to scramble to stop Coles going over on the left. New Zealand recycle right and Moala dives over from close range.
33 min Up it goes from Webb after a strong maul. Roberts, who has moved out to the wing claims it but the ball goes back to New Zealand and they launch a ludicrous counterattack...
32 min Penalty to Wales, that’s a much better scrum. Biggar finds touch on the right midway inside his own half.
“Morning Dan,” begins Simon McMahon. “God loves a trier, Matt Dony, but he should save his energy for the historic events in Paris this evening. If Wales win there, I suspect Mr Dony won’t be needing the offer of a cocktail from me to make his night. He’ll be wired to the moon already.” Oh god the football isn’t back is it? I gave up on it a while back when it was all terrible.
31 min Scott Williams is on for Wales in place of his namesake Liam, who picked up a cut in making that tackle and has to head to the blood bin. He’s taken a fair few whacks today.
No try
We’re checking whether Dagg was ahead of the kicker too. He wasn’t, that’s fine, so we’ll check the grounding. I think it bounced loose off of Liam Williams’ boot. Our TMO agrees and it’s given as a knock-on.
30 min Dagg gives it right to Ben Smith, who streaks clear on the outside again. Amos being given a schooling out there. He grubber kicks back inside for Dagg who collects and they work it left. Moala is the man to go over the line on the left but I don’t think he grounded it...
29 min Right now from Wales and Amos is just tap tackled by Read by slipping clear. They swing it left but can’t make any ground so, eventually, Webb kicks high and long to Dagg.
28 min Barrett clears after taking the restart, into touch just inside the Welsh half on the left. By my reckoning this is just the second lineout of the match. Faletau just about secures it at the back and Wales shift it left, but Amos spills it and Ben Smith hacks ahead. Liam Williams goes back into his 22 to clean up.
Penalty (Barrett 27) New Zealand 11-6 Wales
From 30 metres, just to the left, Barrett slots the kick and Wales become the fourth team in history to concede 1,000 points to the All Blacks.
26 min Moala isolates Francis and goes through the middle of the Welsh defence like a sword through an extra on Game of Thrones. He offloads to Read but the captain’s own offload goes loose and we go back for a penalty to New Zealand for offside. What a break that was.
25 min New Zealand take the restart midway inside their own half and Barrett clears it down the middle. Patchell goes high and Dagg takes brilliantly, but Crotty wastes possession by grubbering it into a Welsh boot with men outside...
24 min Barrett’s touchline conversion sails wide to the left of the posts. New Zealand remain on 999 points against Wales.
Try! (B Smith 23) New Zealand 8-6 Wales
I reckon his right knee is in touch just before he grounds the ball. That’s a great tackle from Amos.
The TMO disagrees with me though and New Zealand have one of the ugliest tries they’ll ever score. Not that any of you Kiwi fans will give a solitary one about that.
23 min Read comes off the back and offloads to Aaron Smith, who takes it on the bounce and the ABs come inside. Back right it goes and Aaron sends a wide pass out to Ben Smith, who dots down in the corner. We’re going to the TMO to see if he was bundled into touch...
22 min Wales’ scrum is getting utterly smashed here.
20 min Penalty to New Zealand at the scrum as the front rows come up. They opt for another.
Michael Hunt has an important question: “What with having the whole rugby game sort of sewn up, I feel the main issue this New Zealand team have had for a while is what they can call Sam Cane what with them already having a player called Kaino. Basic sporting nickname rules: first syllable, add an O, Y or S (Jonno, Cooky, Becks in English sports captain terms). Caney? Really?”
19 min Someone on the New Zealand side is getting their thigh strapped. I don’t know who as they only showed the player’s thigh. Wales secure the restart and Webb boxes clear to Dagg, who sends it inside to Barrett. He runs a glorious angle, looping right and giving it to Ben Smith who scorches round the outside from 45 metres! He’s caught once he’s over the line and Wales desperately hold him up!
Penalty (Biggar 18) New Zealand 3-6 Wales
It was a clear penalty against Coles, blocking the chaser at the restart. It means Wales have the penalty 36 metres out, a touch to the left, which is pretty straightforward to a kicker this good.
17 min Biggar restarts with a short kick and Retallick takes it. Immediately though Wales get a penalty for obstruction by Coles. Biggar will look to fire Wales back in front.
Penalty (Barrett 17) New Zealand 3-3 Wales
Through it goes.
15 min Moala goes through a gap and spills the ball but it goes backwards. New Zealand recycle and Barrett kicks left for Savea, but it’s not quite got enough on it and Williams grounds. Back we go for the penalty, on the 22 and 15 in from touch. Barrett will look to level the scores.
Updated
14 min Patchell’s clearance is half charged down and New Zealand fling it right. Ben Smith and Dagg look for space but can’t get through so they go left to Savea. Liam Williams stops him well but still New Zealand have possession and they have a penalty coming...
12 min Savea comes into midfield and barrages his way through the Welsh tacklers, getting his side up to the 22 for the first time in the match. Barrett so nearly slips through a gap again but is scragged and, at the next phases, Retallick knocks on.
11 min Aaron Smith goes high after one phase and Amos collects it on the bounce. New Zealand have barely seen the ball so far, but they might get it now as Charteris knocks on eight metres inside his own half.
@DanLucas86 Cane's trying to be As dirty as a certain other AB 7, without his skill, subtlety or psychic control of officials
— (((AndyinBrum))) (@AndyinBrum) June 25, 2016
I wouldn’t call McCaw dirty, rather someone who could bend and break the technical laws like some sort of X Man.
9 min Right now but there’s no give in the New Zealand defence. Biggar is in the pocket beyond the 10 metre line and dummies to go for the drop goal before sending it left. Amos grubbers it ahead but the ball goes dead and New Zealand have a scrum on their own 22, wide on hte right.
8 min Cleared by Biggar and again Savea drops it, but this time backwards. He runs but is turned over on his own 10 metre line and Webb darts into space, taking it up to just outside the 22!
7 min Barrett, who played like a god after coming off the bench last week, restarts and it’s secured by Wales on the left. They go right through the hands but there are no gaps and Biggar clears to Dagg, who puts it up high and Moriarty takes, but is turned over. Moala chips through but Amos secures the ball.
Penalty (Biggar 6) New Zealand 0-3 Wales
From the 22, wide-ish on the right, this is easy enough for the Welsh No10.
5 min Biggar recovers but opts for touch, finding it on the right a metre or so inside the All Blacks’ 22. It goes long and AW Jones takes it at the tail. They go to ground and immediately Cane gives away another penalty for not rolling away. I don’t know about you, but Cane hasn’t impressed me in this series a whole lot.
4 min Biggar is down momentarily but looks to have recovered. Through the phases we go then Cane is penalised for making a tackle off the ball. Biggar is down again with a bag of ice being applied to the back of his neck, which is rather irritating as this is in his range.
3 min Up it goes from Webb and B Smith can’t gather. The ball comes back on the Welsh side just inside the New Zealand half but Charteris throws a loose pass behind Jonathan Davies and they need to restart. Moriarty crashes it back into New Zealand territory.
2 min Wales get a free-kick at the scrum and go quick. Biggar with the cross kick but Ben Smith takes it easily and Aaron Smith clears high. Patchell is solid under it on his own 10 metre line and Wales pick & go from there.
1 min Taken just outside the 22 by Liam Williams and they recycle it inside. Biggar clears long and Savea spills it badly on his own 10 metre line five in from touch. That’s out of character.
PEEEEEEP! Jerome Garces is the man with the whistle so it is he, obviously, who gives the signal and Beauden Barrett gets things going. Dunedin has a strange camera angle.
Ah no, New Zealand have taken this one. Under the closed roof the crowd really does sound excellent. Dead rubber or no, this should be a spicy one.
Time for the anthems. Wales have had the upper hand here throughout the series, so there’s that for them.
A brutal but fair prediction I’d say.
@DanLucas86 Wales should be fit for the knackers yard after the first 2 tests but they may put up a bit of a fight, NZ by 30
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) June 25, 2016
A solid 9/10 effort, this, from Matt Dony, who loses one point for going with Wyn Jones. But I heartily approve of this design for riff:
“Ok, lads. Everything must go in to this performance. Attacks need to be that little bit faster, hit the defence like a tsunami. You’ve got at least 4st 7lb on the All Blacks, make it count. The everlasting question, can you finally beat New Zealand, or is that victory further away than ever. I know you’re tired and you’re tender, but dig deep into the archives of pain, find the motivation. You need more than passion (Your love, Wyn Jones, is not enough). Target damn Dagg, keep them on the back foot. Be yourself, let’s go to war, and cheer up this sullen Welsh heart. And hopefully Australia can put the red roses in the hospital.”
20 minutes until kick-off then. As they’ve been in every other MBM in this series, we might as well...
Warren Gatland has urged his side to make one more push in their bid to beat New Zealand for the first time since 1953. Here’s what my fine upstanding colleague P. Association has to say about that.
Preamble
Morning/evening/afternoon/whatever, folks. Like David Cameron, this series is done and dusted. The All Blacks have made anyone who thought they might no longer be the dominant force in world rugby look like a fool while the Welsh, no matter how impressive they might play, have been cannon fodder.
This is not a criticism of Wales. No one expected them to win a match. No one expected them to get within 14 points last week. No one expected them to go in ahead and level respectively in the first two matches. Warrenball is dead, they are being left behind by the likes of England and Ireland, we thought.
But no, Wales have been excellent in their two defeats so far. Now they head to Dunedin, where they will play under a closed roof, with a thrilling counterattacking game that they know can hurt the New Zealand defence. They’ll probably lose and in doing so be whitewashed but, you know, Lions and all that.
Wales make two changes from last week, both at prop with Tomas Francis and Rob Evans coming in. As for New Zealand, Steve Hansen has made five changes to his starting XV. The flanker Elliot Dixon will make his debut while Beauden Barrett, Charlie Faumuina, George Moala and Julian Savea also come into the side.
Kick-off is at 8.35am BST, or 7.35pm local time. These are your teams.
New Zealand
Israel Dagg; Ben Smith, George Moala, Ryan Crotty, Julian Savea; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Dane Coles, Charlie Faumuina, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Elliot Dixon, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (capt).
Replacements: Codie Taylor, Wyatt Crockett, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Luke Romano, Liam Squire, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Lima Sopoaga, Waisake Naholo.
Wales
Rhys Patchell, Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Hallam Amos, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Ross Moriarty, Sam Warburton (capt), Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Aaron Jarvis, Samson Lee, Jake Ball, Ellis Jenkins, Gareth Davies, Rhys Priestland, Scott Williams.
Updated
Dan will be here shortly.
