Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Motorsport
Netball
Basketball
Combat Sports
Olympics
Other Sports
Live sport on SN this weekendInspired Wales end 73-year wait to beat All Blacks
Reuters • November 15th, 2026 6:00 am
All Blacks after their 35-28 defeat to Wales | Photo: Matt Impey/Photosport
Wales pulled off one of rugby's biggest upsets, ending a 73-year winless sequence against New Zealand to beat the All Blacks 35-28 in the Nations Championship in Cardiff.
They outscored the visitors by five tries to four on Saturday to end a 34-match winning streak for New Zealand, who missed the chance to overtake South Africa at the top of the Southern Hemisphere standings.
Wales last won against the All Blacks in 1953 and have slumped to some of their worst results in recent years but produced a defensive performance for the ages to shade the Kiwis.
They caught the visitors cold with two early tries and two more at the start of the second half, and heroic Welsh defence resisted waves of New Zealand attacks in the closing stages to hold on for a famous victory.
The Wales players team were in tears at the end amid raucous celebrations at the Principality Stadium after Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Eddie James and Louis Rees-Zammit scored tries while Sam Costelow was immaculate with the boot.
New Zealand's tries were scored by Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Fehi Fineanganofo and Peter Lakai, all converted by Richie Mo'unga.
Wales' Taine Plumtree and Blair Murray celebrate their surprise win in Cardiff | Photo: AP
Home supporters were pinching themselves as Wales took less than 90 seconds to open the scoring and crossed the All Blacks' line for a second try five minutes later to move 14-0 ahead.
Williams' long pass to Rees-Zammit set up the first try, the winger kicking the ball ahead and the scrumhalf following up and being first to dive on the loose ball.
Captain Lake scored the second try as he powered over from close range after Jac Morgan's burst set up the opportunity.
Although New Zealand got their first try when scrumhalf Ratima easily broke through the home defence in the 10th minute, the Welsh were in dreamland when they had a third try after battering away at the Kiwi line with tighthead prop Archie Griffin powering over.
Wales' Tomos Williams scores his side's first try in a famous victory over the All Blacks | Photo: AP
At halftime, however, the scores were level at 21-21 as New Zealand fought back, Sititi grabbing a try in the 32nd minute and winger Fineanganofo dotting down after a move started in his own half by Mo'unga and relentlessly driven forward with successive half breaks to exhaust the Welsh defence.
The All Blacks were then expected to romp away in the second half but Wales scored two quick tries to again catch their visitors cold.
After a series of carries through the middle, Williams' long pass found James in the corner to score.
Five minutes later a drive from a lineout put Rees-Zammit over and gave Wales a 35-21 lead.
Lakai reduced the deficit with a try to make 35-28, after which the All Blacks camped on the Welsh line but were denied by stoic and lung-busting defence.
Three times they were held up over the line with the Welsh defenders making a total of 346 tackles by the end of the game.
It was only the fourth time Wales had beaten New Zealand in 39 meetings.
