Blacks bash weary Wales
19 Jun 2010
Dan Carter scored 27 points as a powerful second-half showing earned the All Blacks a 42-9 win over Wales.
Wales always talk a good game, and are known to make good on their promises in the early exchanges. Unfortunately, as seen in the defeat to the Springboks a fortnight ago, they lack the composure to put away the top teams and struggle to maintain the necessary intensity over the 80 minutes.
The All Blacks’ most consistent performance of the night was a fiery rendition of Kapa o Pango, the alternative war dance brought out for this final Test at Carisbrook. During the match, however, their scrum wobbled, their lineout was schooled and their inability to protect the ball robbed them of momentum.
The Welsh defence had the measure of a limited All Blacks attack, and managed to slow the hosts down early on. But while the All Blacks were largely disappointing, they took their opportunities, and two Welsh lapses were punished to the tune of 12 points in the first half.
After battling to breach the advantage line, the All Blacks finally won a penalty deep inside Welsh territory. Jimmy Cowan acted decisively, tapping quickly and feeding Keven Mealamu for a charge-over try. Stephen Jones had kicked a drop goal and Leigh Halfpenny a 55m penalty, but Mealamu’s try and Carter’s conversion saw the hosts edge into the lead.
Wales played a territorial game with halfbacks Mike Phillips and Stephen Jones booting for the corners and testing the All Blacks’ back-three with numerous garryowens. It was a tactic that worked for the Boks in the 2009 Tri-Nations, and the New Zealanders still appear susceptible.
While the visitors produced several promising movements inside the All Blacks’ half, their decision-making let them down. Too often a knock-on would grant the hosts reprieve. Before the match, coach Warren Gatland said Wales believed they could win, but their finishing ability suggested otherwise.
They had the All Blacks under pressure deep in their own half, but failure to protect possession saw the ball shoot out on the New Zealand side of the ruck. Blindside wing Tom Prydie had joined the openside, leaving his wing unmarked, and Cory Jane punished the error by racing 50m to score.
Jones kept Wales in touch with another penalty, but missed a difficult attempt right before half-time. It proved to be very costly for the Welsh.
Throughout the game, the All Blacks tried to up the tempo through their direct and penetrative running and sharp offloading. As the Welsh defence began to tire in the second stanza, the hosts enjoyed more linebreaks, and replacement prop Tony Woodcock also brought some stability to the scrum. Importantly, Woodcock won a penalty for his team which Carter duly converted to stretch the hosts’ lead to 18-9.
The game opened up with the All Blacks launching a counter-attack from their own 22 through Carter. Joe Rokocoko took the initial pass but several backline players were involved a wide sweeping move that took the All Blacks into the Welsh 22, before Carter stepped his way through some poor defence to score.
The All Blacks continued to mix the bad with the good, gaining ground through their industrious forward surges but then conceding possession through poor ball protection. Carter finished a fantastic solo effort in the 67th minute while Richard Kahui coasted through some equally shocking defence, but a more clinical performance would have seen the hosts putting 60 past the weary Welsh.
By Jon Cardinelli
150 Comments
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19 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
So the Gatlanders get trounced even when they don’t shoot their mouths off. Can’t wait to hear what they are going to whinge about this time!
19 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
Yes big hit NZ have a lot of kids in thier team too
well played boys. Wales gave us a good workout in the first 50 minutes. Just what we wanted and needed.
19 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
Congrats to the impressive ABs and bye to the House of Pain!
As for the dragons – it’s 57 years and counting.
19 Jun 2010, 11:17 am
I wonder if Gatlands job is safe??
19 Jun 2010, 11:20 am
congrats AB’S good victory
19 Jun 2010, 11:21 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-92: dude, you’re the king of excuses hahaha, i guess aaron cruden, sam whitelock are all veterans of test rugby!
19 Jun 2010, 11:21 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-100:
1953.. Dam, was that back when you were still supporting the boks?
19 Jun 2010, 11:24 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-107:
19 Jun 2010, 11:25 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-106: be serious transie, we all know Wales have no depth and they were already weakened by 5 Lions. Not to mention they’re a **** team who came 4th or 5th in the 6N. But by all means compare them to NZ…
19 Jun 2010, 11:26 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-92:
Clap refereeing.
19 Jun 2010, 11:28 am
only boks can beat the ab,s right now
well maybe the aussies
SH is ruling rugby right now
19 Jun 2010, 11:29 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-104:
Course it is. The Dwagons outplayed themselves to keep it under a ton. Lol.
PS Hig Hip how are the opium pushing slave traders going in the JRWC and WC?
19 Jun 2010, 11:29 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-109: that’s better, no even one excuse just an acknowledgement that the all blacks are better
19 Jun 2010, 11:30 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-111:
France could also beat them. France could easily beat us also.
19 Jun 2010, 11:31 am
@AiDoc(AiDoc)-112: useless kiwi ref robbed us in the semis of the JRWC. As for the WC, well we made the final, you made the QFs
@Transformation(Transformation)-113: they’re better than that Welsh side anyway and they have more depth.
19 Jun 2010, 11:32 am
I know this is a rugby site but SA has lost one of the greatest sportman it has ever produced.
Graeme Pope Ellis died in an accident on his farm. He won a record 15 Dusi Canoe marathons in his carreer, a record that is unlikely to be broken.
Our thoughts are with his family.
There is a link below to read more.
19 Jun 2010, 11:32 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-114: yeah like last week huh
sorry i dont see the french beating the AB’s at this moment
19 Jun 2010, 11:33 am
@John Galt(John Galt)-116: yeah john i saw in the paper earlier
tractor fell over onto him
awesome sportsman
19 Jun 2010, 11:33 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-109:
I say Wales and Ireland are getting themseles into trouble. They both only have 4 club teams (I Think) and they are Beginning to fill up with Foreigners. There is no way they are going to improve there depth.
19 Jun 2010, 11:34 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-117:
Make no mistake that French team is still very good. They have some great players.
19 Jun 2010, 11:35 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-115:
Yep and out of 33 games played against England we have won 26 of them,but hey just like the RWC,its all history now .
Good to see the Welsh come out with a bit of spirit and passion,gave NZ something to think about in the first 40 mins,so good on them. Just havnt got a 80min team.
@Sonito(Sonito)-114:
Exactly
19 Jun 2010, 11:39 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-117:
You won one game against the French at home. Over the few years the French have had the better of the Boks home and away.
I will never think the French as an easy beat of a team,and they can beat the ABs,even with there team now.
19 Jun 2010, 11:40 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-115:
China is not even playing. We are even worse than England but not at cricket. You have never beaten us at cricket.
19 Jun 2010, 11:43 am
So much for Keo’s annual prediction that the All Blacks are a spent force…….
Would rather read Gavin Rich, at least he knows something about rugby…
19 Jun 2010, 11:47 am
@gretep(gretep)-124:
He’s a git closer to the mark than Stefan Jewns though. Incidentally he seems to have been sacked. He’s not on the new “Times” site. Shame really. I liked to correct his semi-literate English.
19 Jun 2010, 11:50 am
@AiDoc(AiDoc)-125:
Jones sacked? Sad that, he is usually good for a laugh…
Perhaps he is Big Hit in disguise…
19 Jun 2010, 11:51 am
@gretep(gretep)-124: yes gavin rich with his open secrets & impeccable sources on how the senior players are coaching the boks.
19 Jun 2010, 12:04 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-109:
Every single team vs ABs is “weakened” by injuries…..
Last week, ABs started 3 debutants and 3 more on the bench, finishing with all 6 debutants on the field.
Even you can figure the one out, Lord Barry, even you.
19 Jun 2010, 12:07 pm
Well done ABs ! The Boks are going to get u!
19 Jun 2010, 12:11 pm
@AiDoc(AiDoc)-125:
The tripe that spilled weekly from Jonesys poison quill was available free.
Now you need to pay for content from the Times.
Who is going to pay to read Jonesy now ?!
There is always a silver lining…
19 Jun 2010, 12:28 pm
@gretep(gretep)-126:
Not the first time that this has been suggested.
BH and SJ are quite similar. Both ‘England supporters’. Both with their heart elsewhere. Both embittered fans from years of leaking results to their rivals.
A very light pulse has been detected in both. All is not lost. Yet.
19 Jun 2010, 12:41 pm
A lot has been said about the depth in All Black rugby, and some of it may be true, but to think that they will be a weak team this year are in for a huge shock,
You don’t need 45 good players to win a test match. You just need 22, and the ‘Blacks certainly have at least that….
19 Jun 2010, 13:03 pm
Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to The Brook, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the leaves are falling
T’is you, T’is you must go and I must bide.
19 Jun 2010, 13:14 pm
An article from todays NZ Herald. Which goes some way to proving that we may lack some things, but a self-deprecating sense of humour is not 1 of them.
I would, however, like ask the following….
Are Sth Africans making these judgements on ladies seen exclusively in their rugby crowds ‘versus’ NZ rugby crowds ? Of course, rugby is a game for ALL people in NZ. The SA football crowds seem to present a slightly skewed, somewhat different, picture. Which game is more ‘representative’ of the available gene pool ?
“It’s war. South Africans think New Zealand women are ugly, according to Johannesburg’s biggest daily newspaper.
The Star’s chief sports writer Kevin McCallum criticises South Africa’s xenophobia in a column analysing the country’s World Cup performance.
The world sees South Africa as quaint and unsophisticated, he says, “just as South Africans think all Americans are fat, all Poms are pasty, New Zealand girls are ugly, Greeks smelly, the French rude, Nigerians deal drugs and Indians are untrustworthy.
Nigeria may have a drug problem and there’s no doubt there’s an obesity issue in the US; the French have a certain way that could be construed as rude, Indians are excellent entrepreneurs and the Greeks celebrate the pheromones in natural odours.
England, of course, has no sun.
But New Zealand girls, ugly?
South African Tanit Phoenix is a stunner, but she’s barely started out and can’t compete with a legend like Rachel Hunter.
Alice Krige is a movie legend in her native country, but we’ll take Lucy Lawless any day.
Hollywood star Charlize Theron may be hot right now, but Lorraine Downes won Miss Universe and that’s timeless.
Johan Le Roux biting Sean Fitzpatrick’s ear? That’s forgivable in the heat of battle.
Winning more Rugby World Cups than us? All in the past and we’ll even the score in 2011. Even the torrid incident of Susie and the food-poisoning pales into insignificance.
This time South Africa has gone too far and New Zealand must strike back.
When the Springboks arrive in New Zealand next year we’ll be sure to have a bevy of Kiwi beauties to wait on them hand and foot. And they’ll all be called Susie.”.
19 Jun 2010, 13:16 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-133:
My finest rugby days spent on the ‘Scotsmans’ stand at Carisbrook. Approx 3 ft down from the rail track.
a large lump in my throat today.
19 Jun 2010, 13:21 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-134:
Haha.. hate to break it to you but its not just South Africans who think NZ has a lack of hot chicks.
When I was in kiwi land even the kiwi guys say there are no hot chicks in NZ.
19 Jun 2010, 13:21 pm
And the Runner-Up for this weeks …..
Nostrodumbarse Award goes to…..
23. Mackie(Mackie) :
June 19th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Even with that try, the Kiwis are looking KAK!
Bewaar die Bokke! Julle gaan kak boetjie!
19 Jun 2010, 13:26 pm
And the winner…………Again.
Is …………
That’s right Volk, Again.
This weeks winner of the Nostrodumbarse Award for insight and percption ……is,,,,,,,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
23. Mackie(Mackie) :
June 19th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Even with that try, the Kiwis are looking KAK!
Bewaar die Bokke! Julle gaan kak boetjie!
,
,
,
,
,
And I don’t even understand the jibberish on the last line.
19 Jun 2010, 13:37 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-135:
The end of a great Test Rugby Venue.
There is still some S15 games next year, so it ain’t over yet.
Great turn out at the Brook tonight.
Marvelous to see them all stay for the formalities.
19 Jun 2010, 14:05 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-137:
I laughed long and hard at that 1 myself.
check out the progression of Keos tweets too…
@Panzer Chief(cane)-139:
and not a burnt sofa in sight.
19 Jun 2010, 14:17 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-140:
An honourable mention must go tö “Big ****”. With his:
18. Big Hit(Big Hit) :
June 19th, 2010 at 9:52 am
AB physicality is suspect, just like last year.
His hatred knows no bounds. How a Nation as small as Ours consumes him so, is beyond me.
19 Jun 2010, 14:49 pm
A fitting game and well won.
Goodbye to Carisbrook. Many fond memories for me.
19 Jun 2010, 14:56 pm
“The Welsh defence had the measure of a limited All Blacks attack, and managed to slow the hosts down early on. But while the All Blacks were largely disappointing, they took their opportunities …. ”
42-9
Jon Cardinelli, you are a complete ****!
19 Jun 2010, 14:56 pm
****
19 Jun 2010, 14:57 pm
wow, the word which means the thing that you turn on a doot to open it is baned on Keo.
Jon must have been called a door kn## too many times?
19 Jun 2010, 14:58 pm
doot = door
19 Jun 2010, 22:45 pm
The welsh started with intensity and the AB’s showed little flair or composure, very guilty of pushing the ball in 50/50 situations which would have been better served taking the ball in and recycling. Both the welsh and irish were very good with this, and stretched the AB’s defensively too often. unfortunately for both visitors, the finishing (and a little luck) was against them.
It was good to see the AB’s gain composure and patience in the second half to grind down the welsh defense. AB’s in this game showed more commitment to the breakdowns and turning some over.
Not a complete performance however as they did not keep control on there own rucks, and little cover/support when the welsh put the high ball up. If we wish to have an easier time that NEEDS fixing as both Aussie and South Africa have better up and unders and alot better chasers.
20 Jun 2010, 05:23 am
Great start by Wales. But as we have come to expect, they lack the quality players able to sustain this intensity beyond half time.
Granted we had problems in the first 40, but overall, one can be satisfied with our progress. Consistent team selections and resisting the temptation to rotate players in and out of the side is beginning to pay dividends.
It must be a huge wake up call for some of our senior players left sitting on the pine. Younger players have been given their opportunity to prove their worth. They have all shown they have the ability to play at this level. So it must have been a relief for Woodcock to take the field yesterday. I think he played well, when he came on.
England will present a different challenge. Forget the trash talk emanating out of Australia. They are a formidable side. Again the AB’s will prepare accordingly. This is what is so fascinating about these matches. They are all different, each test requiring different game plans.
So what have we learnt about Wales that we didn’t already know ahead of next week’s second test? Nothing really. Henry will engage them in the tight and cut off their supply of ball. It will be brutal and unforgiving. Whoever is left standing after 30 minutes will ultimately take control of the game.
Warren Gatland will again talk up his team’s chances. And good on him. But the reality is, his limited stocks are still suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. They will not recover now or anytime soon for what will be another humiliating defeat.
20 Jun 2010, 10:11 am
I, funnily enough, have to agree with Big Hit on this one. It wasn’t a ‘measuring stick’ of a test by any means. As said the Welsh had some stars at home and they have not been performing any great feats at home either. As great as it was too see the AB’s win, run in some good try’s it was lopsided with many evident problems that the likes of the Boks and Wallabies will expose if not sorted soon. The scrum, lineout and ball retention are all areas needing some due diligence. The up side is that this has really been a ‘blooding’ experience and all early signs are positive. More cohesion with problem area sorted we will have a team to be respected.
20 Jun 2010, 11:35 am
Wales should be stripped of the Dragon. They are awful. They should be called the Welsh Lumps after the coal lump.
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