In Cardiff, the All Blacks defeated Wales 52–26 in their final rugby Test of the year.
Though the score sounds one-sided, the match was close until the last 20 minutes, when New Zealand pulled away.
Wales played bravely and were only a few points behind several times. Tom Rogers, their left wing, scored three tries and kept the home team in the game. But when two Welsh players were shown yellow cards for dangerous tackles, the All Blacks took control.
New Zealand scored seven tries, with Damian McKenzie kicking all the conversions. Caleb Clarke scored two tries, and Sevu Reece added another two in the final moments. Rieko Ioane’s try early in the second half gave New Zealand a much-needed boost, and Ruben Love and Tamaiti Williams also crossed the line.
Although the All Blacks were strong in their set pieces and played with more discipline, they struggled in defence. Some tries were ruled out by the referee and the television match official.
This victory was important for New Zealand after their recent loss to England. Standout players included hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, No.8 Wallace Sititi, and fullback Will Jordan, who showed great effort and skill throughout the game.
Wales haven’t beaten the All Blacks since 1953, but they impressed their home crowd with a bold performance.
