Historic Hat-Trick Overshadowed by All Blacks' Power
Wales provided a spirited performance at a packed Principality Stadium but ultimately fell to a 52-26 defeat against New Zealand, extending their wait for a victory over the All Blacks that now stretches back to 1953. The match will be remembered for Tom Rogers' historic hat-trick, the first ever by a Welsh player against New Zealand, though the visitors' clinical finishing proved decisive.
Frenetic Encounter in Cardiff
The All Blacks signalled their intent early, with Caleb Clarke crossing for a converted score within five minutes. Wales responded immediately, restoring parity through Rogers' first try after Louis Rees-Zammit won a crucial aerial battle. New Zealand began to exert control as the penalty count mounted against Wales, with Damian McKenzie slotting a penalty before Ruben Love's dazzling footwork created another opportunity.
Wales demonstrated remarkable resilience, with Tomos Williams catching the All Blacks napping with a clever chip that eventually led to Rogers' second score. However, New Zealand had the final word of the first half as prop Tamaiti Williams spun out of a tackle to score, giving the visitors a 24-14 interval lead.
Record Books Rewritten Amid Second-Half Surge
The home crowd erupted just two minutes after the restart as Rogers secured his place in the history books. Following a chargedown from Dafydd Jenkins and excellent work from Joe Hawkins and Max Llewellyn, Rogers crossed to complete his remarkable treble - the first Welsh hat-trick since Rees-Zammit's against Georgia at the 2023 World Cup.
The match remained finely balanced at 24-21 after 50 minutes, with the Principality Stadium in a frenzy as tries for Clarke and Will Jordan were subsequently disallowed after video review. The turning point came when Rieko Ioane squeezed over in the corner from a McKenzie kick, before the All Blacks ruthlessly exploited yellow cards shown to Wales' Gareth Thomas and Taine Plumtree.
Replacement Sevu Recce claimed a quickfire double during this period, with Clarke adding final gloss after Rees-Zammit had produced a trademark finish at the corner for a late consolation. The match also featured a significant officiating milestone, with Scotland's Hollie Davidson becoming the first woman to referee the All Blacks in a Test match.
The result extends New Zealand's winning run against Wales to 34 consecutive matches, despite the hosts showing considerable improvement from their performance against England at Twickenham. The match also featured a heartwarming personal story as Ospreys flanker Harri Deaves completed his journey from working as a roofer to the Test arena.
