Skip to content When Wales beat New Zealand 35-28 in Cardiff, they wiped away 73 years of heartbreak and a 34-match losing curse in eighty frantic minutes. Nobody gave Steve Tandy’s side a prayer before kickoff, with bookmakers dangling 20-1 odds against the hosts.
Instead, five stunning tries and a ferocious goal-line stand ended a drought stretching all the way back to 1953. The result completely transforms the mood around Welsh rugby after years of misery on and off the pitch.
Also read: Wheelchair World Cup: England Beat France 50-38 in Final
For the supporters packed inside the ground, this was the afternoon the impossible finally happened. It rewrites modern rugby history and leaves New Zealand stunned after a nine-try Nations Championship slugfest.
How Wales beat New Zealand in a frantic opening rush
Wales flew out of the blocks with breathtaking speed. Prop Nicky Smith won an early turnover at the ruck, and scrum-half Tomos Williams unleashed a looping pass out wide to Louis Rees-Zammit.
The winger kicked ahead into space, and Williams sprinted past the cover to pounce on the ball for the opening try. Minutes later, captain Dewi Lake took another flat ball from Williams and barged across the line.
Wales led 14-0 after barely six minutes, sending the Principality Stadium crowd into absolute delirium. The All Blacks looked rattled by the tempo, but they struck back quickly when Cortez Ratima finished off a simple line-out move.
New Zealand coach Dave Rennie had warned his players about flanker Jac Morgan before kickoff. Yet Morgan repeatedly terrorised the Kiwi breakdown, earning a penalty that pushed Wales back onto the front foot.
After centre Max Llewellyn was stopped inches short, prop Archie Griffin forced his way over for Wales’ third try. But the visitors answered right back before the interval.
Wallace Sititi dived over from another set-piece attack, and Fehi Fineanganofo scored in the corner just before the siren. Richie Mo’unga slotted the conversion to lock the scores at 21-21 at half-time.
All Blacks fight back before Rees-Zammit strikes
Many expected the visitors to pull away in the second half, as they so often do against northern hemisphere opposition. Instead, Wales struck twice in the opening eight minutes of the second period.
Williams pulled the strings again, finding centre Eddie James with a crisp pass to slice through under the posts. Then Morgan produced another brilliant turnover to hand Wales attacking field position deep in Kiwi territory.
Williams fired a long, looping ball across the defensive line to Rees-Zammit, who danced over for a record fifth Welsh try. Sam Costelow kicked his fifth conversion of the match to build an astonishing 35-21 lead.
The visitors responded with trademark ferocity. Flanker Peter Lakai powered through to trim the deficit to seven points, setting up a desperate final quarter.
Why Wales beat New Zealand on the goal line
The closing 20 minutes tested Welsh discipline to the absolute limit. Lakai seemed destined to level the match after breaking through midfield, but replacement prop Gareth Thomas held up Sititi over the line.
Minutes later, flanker James Botham matched the feat by denying replacement hooker Asafo Aumua in identical fashion. Tandy rolled the dice by pulling off his starting half-backs, asking Dan Edwards and Reuben Morgan-Williams to manage the clock.
Edwards and Morgan combined to hold up New Zealand over the whitewash for a third time. The Welsh forward pack refused to yield an inch against repeated scrums and mauls.
Every tackle carried the weight of seven barren decades. When the final whistle blew, the home players collapsed to the turf in tears of joy and disbelief.
What this result means for the Nations Championship
The 55,152 fans in Cardiff witnessed Welsh rugby history that eluded legends like Sir Gareth Edwards and Alun Wyn Jones. It was the lowest attendance between these nations at the stadium, but those present will never forget it.
New Zealand still sit atop the southern section after France defeated South Africa on Friday night. Even so, this defeat exposes real defensive vulnerabilities under interim captain Beauden Barrett.
Wales head into the final round of regular fixtures with a massive surge of belief, knowing they can topple world rugby giants. New Zealand must now regroup quickly before their final regular-season clash next weekend.
Source: BBC Sport
