All Blacks v Wales: Live updates from the Nations Championship test in Cardiff

All Blacks v Wales – 3.10am, Sunday

It’s a rivalry that goes back to 1905 but has been mostly one-sided for the last 73 years.

The last time the two nations met, the All Blacks cruised to a 52-26 victory, but that wasn’t enough to save Scott Robertson’s job. Almost 12 months later Dave Rennie arrives on the back of three straight convincing wins and a chance at finishing unbeaten in the Nations Championship.

Wales are ranked 10th in the world and sit fifth in the Northern Hemisphere standings with two wins and two defeats. They are coming off a win over Japan and next face Australia with a likely ninth or 11th place final awaiting them in the finals weekend.

Played – 38

All Blacks won – 35

Wales won – 3

Draws – 0

All Blacks points scored – 1271

Wales points scored – 456

All Blacks side to play Wales

1. George Bower, 2. Asafo Aumua, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Josh Lord, 6. Anton Segner, 7. Peter Lakai, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Richie Mo’unga, 11. Josh Moorby, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Quinn Tupaea, 14. Fehi Fineanganofo, 15. Beauden Barrett (C)

Replacements: 16. George Bell, 17. Xavier Numia, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Jamie Hannah, 20. Ethan Blackadder, 21. Leicester Fainga’anuku, 22. Kyle Preston, 23. Rieko Ioane

Wales side to play All Blacks

1 Nicky Smith,2 Dewi Lake, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 5 Adam Beard, 6 James Botham,7 Jac Morgan, 8 Taine Basham, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Sam Costelow, 11 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 12 Max Llewellyn, 13 Eddie James, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 15 Blair Murray.

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Ben Carter, 20 Taine Plumtree, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Louie Hennessey

2025, All Blacks 52 Wales 26

The All Blacks finished their season with another late flourish, in what would be the final test under Scott Robertson. One week after their humbling Twickenham defeat that crushed their Grand Slam hopes, the All Blacks eventually cruised to a comfortable win in Cardiff to maintain their 72-year unbeaten record against Wales. The All Blacks led 24-21 after 50 minutes before taking over the test.

Gregor Paul wrote:

A gold-standard scoreline from a slow but effective surgical dissection of Wales gave the All Blacks the glossy finish to their season, but it will be a mistake for New Zealanders to believe all is right with the national team.

Wales were plucky. And they were stubborn. They were even quite good at times, certainly when they shifted the ball right to left, but they are No 12 in the world for a reason.

The hosts were always going to succumb to their limitations; the question was when.

The answer turned out to be longer than anyone anticipated and some of that was due to their scrambling defence, and some of it was down to the difficulty the All Blacks had at times in holding their shape, maintaining their patience, and delivering the requisite accuracy.

December 19, 1953. The game was ultimately decided by a speculative kick from Welsh forward Clem Thomas which Ken Jones – an Olympic sprinter – pounced on to score, the most famous moment in the flying wing’s illustrious test rugby career.

“Wales were only in our territory four or five times in the second half. It was very bad luck. The Jones try was the difference,” All Black Bill McCaw told the Herald in 2021.

The defeat was New Zealand’s second loss of the tour after falling to Cardiff 8-3. The All Blacks went on to win tests over Ireland, England and Scotland with the Wales defeat robbing them of a grand slam. They also lost to France in the final test of the 36-match tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.

Wales have got to within a point of the All Blacks twice during the current losing streak. Most recently in 2014 and also in 1978 when replacement Brian McKechnie, who was born a month before Wales’ last win in 1953, kicked a famous sideline penalty to give the All Blacks a 13-12 win.

2025 – All Blacks 52 Wales 26, Cardiff

2022 – All Blacks 55 Wales 23, Cardiff

2021 – All Blacks 54 Wales 16, Cardiff

2019 – All Blacks 40 Wales 17, Tokyo

2017 – All Blacks 33 Wales 18, Cardiff

2016 – All Blacks 46 Wales 6, Dunedin

2016 – All Blacks 36 Wales 22, Wellington

2016 – All Blacks 39 Wales 21, Auckland

2014 – All Blacks 34 Wales 16, Cardiff

2012 – All Blacks 33 Wales 10, Cardiff

All Blacks: W, W, W, L, L

Wales: W, L, L, W, W

Frenchman Pierre Brousset will be in charge of his fourth All Blacks test. New Zealand have a 3-0 record under Brousset, the last test being a 26-13 win over Ireland in Chicago last year. Nic Berry and Luc Ramos are the assistant referees.

All Blacks: $1.02 Draw: $51 Wales: $12

All Blacks 1-12: $6

All Blacks 13+: $1.16

Wales 1-12: $15

Wales 13+: $41

Sunday, November 8, All Blacks 43 Scotland 21, Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Sunday, November 15, All Blacks v Wales, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 3.10am

Sunday, November 22, All Blacks v England, Twickenham Stadium, London, 3.10am

Nations Championship playoff match, TBC

Listen to Elliott Smith’s live commentary on Newstalk ZB Sport and iHeartRadio, or join the Alternative Commentary Collective on iHeartRadio and Radio Hauraki.

You can watch the game on Sky Sport 1 and it will be livestreamed on Sky Sport Now.

You can also find live updates at nzherald.co.nz.