Wales 35-28 New Zealand: Wales beat All Blacks for first time since 1953
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Wales secured their first victory over New Zealand in 73 years with a 35-28 win in a high-scoring Nations Championship match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
- The Welsh team scored five tries through players including Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Eddie James, and Louis Rees-Zammit, while New Zealand responded with four tries from Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Fehi Fineanganofo, and Peter Lakai.
- Wales led at multiple points during the match and held off a late New Zealand surge with exceptional defense, including three critical try-saving holds near the line by players like Gareth Thomas and James Botham.
- This victory ended a 34-match losing streak against the All Blacks dating back to 1953, marking a historic moment for Welsh rugby and lifting national spirits after a period of underperformance.
- Despite New Zealand making multiple lineup changes and being favored by bookmakers, Wales’ inspired performance, led by key players and strategic decisions by coach Steve Tandy, earned them a celebrated win witnessed by over 55,000 fans.
