Refreshed All Blacks finish northern tour in style with 52-26 victory over Wales

Sunday, 23 November 2025

At Principality Stadium, Cardiff: All Blacks 52 (Caleb Clarke 2 tries 5min, 79min; Ruben Love try 27min, Tamaiti Williams try 38min, Rieko Ioane try 52min, Sevu Reece 2 tries 59min, 70min; Damian McKenzie pen, 7 cons), Wales 26 (Tom Rogers 3 tries 10min, 33min, 43min, Louis Rees-Zammit try 77min; Dan Edwards 3 cons). HT: 24-14.

Yellow cards: Gareth Thomas (Wales) 58min; Taine Plumtree (Wales) 68min.

Job done. Scott Robertson’s All Blacks negotiated a couple of awkward moments to eventually sign off on their 2025 season with a degree of style and comfort in Cardiff. For what it was worth.

Of course, with their Grand Slam hopes in tatters in the wake of last week’s disappointing defeat at Twickenham, this tour-ender at the Principality Stadium had a dead rubber type feel to it. Especially against a Welsh outfit, having slipped to 12th in the world rankings, that has proven easybeats for all comers over the last few seasons.

Robertson countered any dangers of there being a Twickers hangover this week by refreshing his lineup, with just three starting survivors from the England defeat, and by and large his largely second-string outfit obliged with a worthy effort as they ran in seven tries to four to cruise to a 52-26 victory that was just three points shy of their record score against the Welsh.

Sure, the New Zealanders had a few anxious moments, with the Welsh closing to 24-21 early in the second spell before a four-try All Blacks blitz sealed the deal, and the visitors were helped mightily by a couple of second-half yellow cards that denied the home side the full complement for 20 minutes over the run home.

But Robertson’s untested group found the answers they had to in the end to breeze to a comfortable victory that sees them go three for four on tour and 10-3 for the year. A good season? Debatable, with those three defeats biting hard, and the Grand Slam ambition denied. More like a so-so one, with a lot of work still to do at this halfway stage of the World Cup cycle.

Several All Blacks made the most of this tour finale, none more than wing Caleb Clarke, who notched a pair of tries (denied another by the TMO), ran for 100 metres, beat eight defenders and made two line-breaks. The power wing certainly finished a frustrating year marred by injury in style.

Young Ruben Love also put in 53 quality minutes at fullback, notching one outstanding finish and impressing with most he did, the old-firm midfield of Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane enjoyed a glut of possession with a pair of strong-running efforts and Will Jordan was busy, both on the carry and the pass, though would have been gutted not to add to his test try haul.

Leicester Fainga’anuku and two-try Sevu Reece made big impacts off the pine over the run home, while Damian McKenzie ran the show well at 10 and was impeccable off the tee, notching all eight of his shots at goal, many from wide out.

Up front, busy loose forward Wallace Sititi, named player of the match, was the standout All Black, though Tamaiti Williams, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Fabian Holland all made strong impacts as the visiting big men very much shaded the possession and breakdown battle.

The Welsh certainly stamped their mark on an entertaining occasion. The ease with which wing Tom Rogers, his team’s most impressive performer, was able to cross for a hat-trick of tries was a concern, and a surefire indication there were some issues with New Zealand’s right edge defence.

Louis Rees-Zammit also put in a strong shift on a good afternoon for the Welsh speedsters, though a 228-85 tackle count was proof positive of the dominant nature of the New Zealand performance. Kiwi loosie Taine Plumtree, promoted to starting duty, had a mixed afternoon, topping the home tackle count, though copping the second yellow card for a high hit on Jordan.

The Welsh, who last week ended a 10-match losing streak at home, still haven’t beaten the All Blacks since 1953 and have now won just two of their last 22 tests. They have a lot to do themselves to right their listing ship, but would at least have been satisfied with the attacking verve showed.

The New Zealanders scored three tries to two in a free-flowing first 40 to take a 24-14 lead into the sheds at halftime.

It wasn’t a perfect opening stanza from Robertson’s men, with a little bit of dropped ball and those pair of tries conceded, but they certainly showcased their attacking chops against a side that, let’s face it, is not the toughest to score tries against.

Clarke scored the All Blacks’ first try just four minutes in off a crisp backline move, Love, busy through the first half, produced a piece of individual brilliance off the right-foot step for the second just past the mid-point of the spell and Williams’ unadulterated power near the line created the third just a couple of minutes from the break

If there was a concern for the New Zealanders around their first-half efforts it was the ease with which the Welsh put wing Rogers in for a pair of tries wide on the left that enabled the home side to stay in the contest.

It was the Welsh who started the second spell the better, sending Rogers across for his hat-trick just a couple of minutes in with another piece of slick backline work to close within three.

But from there it was all the men in black, with Rieko Ioane doing well to finish McKenzie’s crosskick soon after Clarke and Jordan had both been denied tries by the TMO, Reece notching a double with some slick finishing and Clarke ending the rout off Fainga’anuku’s midfield break and Ioane’s assist.