New Zealand radio personality Mark Watson has reacted with dismay to the All Blacks' 35-28 loss to Wales in Cardiff, describing it as potentially the worst performance in the team's history and comparing the feeling to a "death in the family."
Steve Tandy's Wales side secured their first win over New Zealand in 73 years on Saturday, ending a run of 34 consecutive All Blacks victories against them. While the result sparked celebrations across Wales, the reaction in New Zealand has been one of shock and criticism.
Watson's Emotional On-Air Reaction
Speaking on Sport Nation, Watson did not hold back in his assessment of the defeat. "I've got to tell you how I'm feeling right now," he said. "In a sporting sense, it feels a little bit like a death in the family."
"I feel embarrassed. I feel humiliated. I feel incredibly disappointed," he added. "I want the next two to three days just to come and go, so I don't have to read online news site that talks about this All Black defeat - the discussion on the post-mortem - because I want to somehow live in this world of make-believe that what we saw this morning didn't actually happen, that the Welsh didn't actually beat the All Blacks."
Despite his frustration, Watson acknowledged Wales's achievement. "I want to make it quite clear: Wales were brilliant, they deserve it, and I'm delighted for them," he said.
Historical Context and Criticism
Watson placed the defeat in historical perspective, noting that since 1903 the All Blacks have played 660 Test matches. "That might just be the worst performance in All Black history," he said.
He contrasted the loss with recent defeats to South Africa, saying, "There have been some bad performances in recent times: the All Blacks last year against South Africa in Wellington, the All Blacks in Baltimore this year - but those defeats were at the hands of the world champions, South Africa."
Watson highlighted Wales's recent record, noting that in their last 33 Tests against top-eight nations they had not secured a victory, with their last major win against such a side coming against Australia in 2023. "They are international minnows," he said.
Criticism of Leadership and Selection
The radio host was also critical of the team's approach and leadership. "We were complacent, we were arrogant, we were stupid, and we lacked on-field leadership again," he said.
He questioned the reliance on experienced players, saying, "Experience will get you selected. 'We won't play Josh Jacomb, he doesn't have enough experience.' I'm going to say it and I'm going to say it again: experience is only a supplement for talent, not a substitute."
Watson pointed to senior figures on the field, saying, "Scott Barrett, Beauden Barrett, Anton Lienert-Brown, Richie Mo'unga - so much experience on the field, yet they couldn't change the game plan, couldn't see what we as fans saw at home in regards of what needed to happen."
He also suggested that messages from coach Dave Rennie were not getting through. "The messages from Dave Rennie in the coach's box somehow didn't get through to them, as we continued to play dumb, one-off-the-ruck rugby that was completely ineffective," he said.
Looking Ahead
Watson expressed doubts about the team's prospects at next year's World Cup, asking, "Do you think we can win a World Cup next year with Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga? I don't think we can. I thought we were making progress; we're back to square one."
He noted that England might be the only other side disappointed by Wales's win, adding, "Maybe the only people other than me that will be disappointed that Wales won might be England, because perhaps the only thing that's good that comes out of this is the backlash — and boy, does there need to be a backlash. We lose to England next week and rugby is dead and buried."
