Wales are still searching for their first victory over New Zealand since 1953 after the All Blacks once again proved too strong with a 55-23 triumph at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
This was considered to be the Welshmen’s best chance in years of overcoming the All Blacks following the visitors’ poor season so far. However, despite a spirited performance, in reality they were no match for Ian Foster’s men.
Wayne Pivac’s charges did well to come back after going 17-0 down at the end of the first quarter due to a Codie Taylor brace, but New Zealand pulled away late on.
Rio Dyer’s try on debut and a pair of Gareth Anscombe penalties meant Wales were 22-13 in arrears at the break ― Jordie Barrett scoring the All Blacks’ third try ― and the hosts thought they had a chance when Aaron Smith and Justin Tipuric traded scores.
With Anscombe adding a conversion and a penalty, six points separated the teams with just under 30 minutes remaining, but the away side finished the stronger.
Smith and Barrett both crossed the whitewash for a second time while Ardie Savea and Samisoni Taukei’aho also scored as they romped to an ultimately convincing win.
Wales need to regroup quickly, with Argentina and Australia among their remaining autumn opponents, after another performance that prospered at times, but they had nowhere near enough quality moments.
For New Zealand, it was the most points they have scored against Wales in Cardiff, eclipsing the 54 they racked up 12 months ago.
Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny’s hopes of a Test match return 16 months after suffering major knee ligament damage were thwarted by a hamstring injury.
Anscombe moved from fly-half to replace him, with Rhys Priestland starting in the number 10 shirt and uncapped Scarlets back Sam Costelow joining the replacements.
Smith made his 113th Test match appearance for New Zealand, moving above Dan Carter as the All Blacks’ most-capped back, while Sam Whitelock took over as captain from an injured Sam Cane.
New Zealand settled quickly under the stadium’s closed roof, and Mo’unga kicked them into a fourth-minute lead through a 40-metre penalty.
It was an unsettling opening for Wales, and New Zealand extended their lead seven minutes later when flanker Dalton Papali’i breached Wales’ front-line defence and quickly recycled possession resulted in a try for Taylor that Mo’unga converted.
Wales looked off the pace and were defensively suspect as New Zealand punished them through a second Taylor try ― converted by Mo’unga ― that opened up a 17-point advantage inside the opening quarter.
The home side desperately needed some inspiration, and it arrived courtesy of new cap Dyer.
Wales attacked strongly from a short-range lineout, and Dyer touched down after cutting a superb attacking angle on receipt of centre Nick Tompkins’ pass, with Anscombe’s conversion making it 17-7.
An Anscombe penalty nine minutes before half-time further cut the gap, and there were promising signs shown by Wales after being run ragged in the early stages.
But New Zealand’s ruthless edge surfaced again when they returned to Wales’ 22, as a brilliant Mo’unga cross-kick saw Jordie Barrett catch it and outjump Dyer before touching down.
Anscombe then kicked a second penalty just before the interval, as Wales went off nine points adrift when it might have been a whole lot worse, given New Zealand’s initial onslaught.
🔥 Aaron Smith rolling back the years!
Superb individual try from the great scrum-half. 👏pic.twitter.com/a5XCEacaoh
― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) November 5, 2022
Wales showed two changes for the second period, with prop Dillon Lewis replacing Tomas Francis and lock Alun Wyn Jones taking over from Adam Beard.
Anscombe completed his penalty hat-trick five minutes after the restart, and Wales were firmly back in contention as a third change saw Nicky Smith replace loosehead prop Gareth Thomas.
Just when questions were being asked of them, though, New Zealand hit back when livewire Smith broke clear from the base of a scrum for his team’s fourth try, and Mo’unga converted for a 29-16 lead.
But Wales displayed admirable resilience, and they chipped away at New Zealand again, this time through a Tipuric try that Anscombe converted, only for Smith to score again, with Mo’unga adding the extras to restore a 13-point gap.
Costelow made his Test match introduction 14 minutes from time, yet New Zealand had already stretched further away through Savea’s try, before Jordie Barrett’s second touchdown inched them closer to 50 points, a figure that was passed in injury time.
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