Wales 35-28 New Zealand Ends 73-Year All Blacks Drought

Wales finally beat the All Blacks

Wales defeated New Zealand 35-28 at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, winning a Nations Championship encounter that ended 73 years of hurt.

The All Blacks had reeled off 34 successive victories over Wales since the last Welsh win in 1953, and a crowd of 55,152 stayed long after the final whistle as players wept amid celebrations set to Yma O Hyd.

Wales, coached by Steve Tandy, scored early tries and then held firm as three times they held up black shirts over their try-line in a heroic second-half defensive effort.

Why the upset stunned rugby

No one gave Wales a chance, with some bookmakers offering odds of 30-1 during the week. At kick-off the All Blacks were effectively the top-ranked side in the world after South Africa lost to France the night before.

Wales had slumped to 12th in the world rankings and a record losing run of any tier-one nation.

Former captain Sam Warburton called it one of the greatest Welsh wins of all time, and pundit Dan Biggar told ITV it was probably the biggest shock in world rugby since Japan beat South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.

A record defensive display

Initial statistics cited by the BBC had second-row Dafydd Jenkins equalling Thierry Dusautoir's world record of 38 tackles in a single Test, a mark also set against New Zealand in 2007.

Man of the match James Botham and Jac Morgan each topped 30 tackles, with Eddie James and captain Dewi Lake close behind.

Former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick, a winner in all six previous meetings with Wales, told the BBC the defensive effort was out of this world and that the day was all about Wales.

A nation reacts and history reconsidered

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth congratulated the team on a moment that will live long in Welsh sporting history, while Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock said he could barely believe what he had witnessed after watching the final 20 minutes.

Actress Ruth Jones posted an overjoyed reaction on Instagram. The 73-year wait had included one-point defeats in 1978 and 2004, and even four New Zealand-born coaches failed to break the hoodoo.

Commentator Huw Llywelyn Davies, 81, who saw the 1953 match as an eight-year-old, said he never thought he would see it happen again.

Sources

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