New Zealand's rugby players have become the first All Blacks side in more than seven decades to lose to Wales, following a 35-28 defeat at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. In the aftermath of the shock loss, the team showed their class by leaving their dressing room spotless.
A video clip shared on social media shows different players brushing up inside the dressing room, with the caption “leave it how you found it”. The clip drew a positive reaction online, with Welsh fans praising the beaten All Blacks.
Fans praise All Blacks' conduct
One supporter wrote: “As a Welsh supporter it's always been a pleasure to watch the All Blacks......so as long as you beat the English we don't care.”
Another said: “Form is temporary but class is permanent. I’m an ecstatic Welshman tonight but NZ will always be the benchmark for standards in rugby union.”
One supporter wrote: “Class as always. As a Welsh supporter, I am ecstatic today, my two favourite teams playing such an intense game. I am so proud of the Welsh boys but will always have the highest respect for the All Blacks.”
Another wrote: “Win, lose or draw, the character of a man/team is in their actions as a whole. Playing hard on the field doesn't mean you lose respect for the hospitality shown to you. It's just good manners and no more than you might expect from a world class team.”
Post-match reactions from captain and coach
Captain Beauden Barrett and head coach Dave Rennie also showed their respect for Wales in their post-match press conference.
“It's a tough one to take, particularly when we were building pressure and couldn't convert,” said the full-back. “We were held up a lot of times. It's frustrating. It felt like a brick wall at times. You've got to give them credit.”
“You give them the crowd the chance to come in. That's why it's one of the best places in the world to play.”
“We had a good enough side on the field to win, and if you look at the stats we had plenty of opportunities and the guys created a lot of chances,” Rennie added. “We just weren't clinical enough and they were very good defensively. I have no regret around the side that we picked, as I’ve talked about previously there is really good competition for places. There's not a lot between certain positions.”
