Wales 25 New Zealand 37:WALES BROKE camp yesterday and headed back to the regions, pondering another chance blown against one of the giants of the Southern Hemisphere.
Under Warren Gatland they have played 13 matches against Tri-Nations teams and they have won just one of them, against Australia in Cardiff two years ago. Since then Wales have lost eight on the bounce to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Coming second best is becoming too much of a habit, especially when richer rewards are on offer, as they were here.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Wales had clawed their way back to within a point and the All Blacks looked shattered after 14 Tests in a punishing year. They were also a man down, with the flanker Daniel Braid still having nine minutes to serve in the sin-bin, for a ruck offence.
However, instead of turning the screw, Wales saw Lee Byrne fail to find touch with a penalty. In the blink of an eye Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Jerome Kaino and Mils Muliaina had fashioned a second try for the wing Hosea Gear. Dan Carter, who by then had passed Jonny Wilkinson’s Test points world record despite missing almost everything he kicked, landed the conversion and New Zealand were in the clear.
Another couple of tries, including one from 30 yards by the 19-stone replacement prop John Afoa, just rubbed it in. Gatland said: “It was massive, wasn’t it? We had all the momentum and we looked strong defensively at that stage. We had some confidence behind us and I thought the All Blacks looked a bit rattled, but to miss touch and have them score from it was a big moment in the game.”
The coach reckoned that four of the All Black tries had come from poor kicks and Byrne was certainly not the only man to blame. Three would-be tacklers fell off the centre Sonny Bill Williams as he created Gear’s first try and the Welsh kicking collective gave New Zealand at least three chances before Muliaina accepted one to score his side’s second.
“We need to take advantage of the things we are creating and stop shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Gatland. Unfortunately for the coach time is running out. Wales have just eight Tests and one game against the Barbarians in which to put things right before they meet South Africa – followed by Samoa and Fiji – in the World Cup.
Wales have failed to win in seven Tests, their worst run since 2003. The best they got from six weeks together over the autumn was a draw against Fiji. They might have to wait another 57 years before getting a better chance to register another win over the All Blacks.
WALES: Byrne (Ospreys); North (Scarlets), Shanklin (Cardiff Blues; Bishop, Ospreys, 77), Hook (Ospreys), T James (Blues); S Jones (Scarlets), Phillips (Ospreys; R Rees, Blues, 78); Jenkins (Blues; P James, Ospreys, 79), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), A Jones (Ospreys), Davies (Blues), AW Jones (Ospreys), Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons; Thomas, Ospreys, 48), Warburton (Blues; Williams, Cardiff, 77), R Jones (Ospreys; Powell, Wasps, 48).
NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina (Waikato); Toeava (Auckland), Smith (Wellington), Williams (Canterbury; Nonu, Wellington, 49), Gear (Wellington); Carter (Canterbury; Donald, Waikato, 78), Cowan (Southland; Ellis, Canterbury, 77); Woodcock (North Harbour), Mealamu (Auckland; Hore, Taranaki, 75), Franks (Canterbury; Afoa, Auckland, 62), Thorn (Canterbury), Whitelock (Canterbury; Boric, North Harbour, 55), Kaino (Auckland), McCaw (Canterbury capt), Read (Canterbury; Braid; Auckland, 36). Sin binBraid 51.
Referee: A Lewis(Ireland).
Guardian Service
