Pool D: New Zealand - 53 Wales - 37 The World Cup was waiting for a match of breathtaking intensity, virtuoso skill and epic cut and thrust, but this final pool game was not expected to be it. Yesterday though, Wales put on a show worthy of their glorious past in pushing the All Blacks to the extent that, at one point, the victory that has proved impossible for nigh on half a century was in sight.
First a little context. The All Blacks had dominated the Tri-Nations with four wins out of four. The last encounter between the two sides, in Hamilton in June, was a record defeat for Wales: 55-3. In the spring, the Welsh finished bottom of the Six Nations, whitewashed and demoralised. The All Blacks had notched up 209 points in three pool games, shipping a mere 20.
This was the 16th consecutive defeat, but there was credit. For the first time, Wales scored four tries against the New Zealanders.
While Wales can face England in Brisbane on Saturday with renewed faith, they also exposed the defensive frailties of the All Blacks, often suggested but here shown in glaring relief, as the New Zealand coach John Mitchell admitted.
"We will learn a lot from this about how to defend against sides who can recycle the ball quickly. I think we had a few issues with quick recycling, not getting into the right position in defence subsequently." For this read: Wales ran the All Blacks ragged at times and you could have driven a bus through some of the gaps they left. The Springboks, next up in Melbourne on Saturday, will have taken note and liked what they saw.
For half an hour, the script was followed. Within two minutes of the kick-off, Joe Rokocoko opened the scoring, and in another 12 minutes he was in again. Leon McDonald followed suit from a close-range tap penalty and when Ali Williams latched on to Carlos Spencer's pinpoint cross-field kick on the half-hour, the rout looked to be pending with the All Blacks 28-10 in front.
But gaps had been appearing in the All Black line whenever Wales put the ball through several phases, enabling the underdogs to take one excellent try through Mark Taylor, after Stephen Jones had chipped neatly over the cover and Jones had added a penalty.
Suddenly the diminutive Shane Williams stepped up. Two delicious shimmies took him clear to set up Sonny Parker's try in immediate response to Williams's score, and in first-half injury time he was through again. Wales earned a close-range penalty, Colin Charvis had first the moral courage to order Jones to kick for the lineout, and then the presence of mind to dive over through a yawning gap in a ruck on the New Zealand line.
After Jones landed an early penalty, it was Williams again, bursting round Spencer after Brent Cockbain snaffled a New Zealand lineout. The tiny wing had Charvis in support, and was on hand to finish the move after Gareth Thomas flung the ball wide, grazing Spencer's fingers. Wales were in the lead, by six points.
New Zealand fought back with a silky interchange of passes between Spencer and Aaron Mauger opening the space for Doug Howlett, then Jones responded with another penalty. Four points adrift, the All Blacks turned up the pressure, and twice in five minutes they crossed the Wales try-line only to be held up before they could ground the ball.
Finally Spencer's perfectly angled run took him past Gareth Cooper. The conversion was missed, and with 15 minutes to go, Wales could still dream, but were clearly drained. Howlett's second try, a dance along the touchline from close range, took the All Blacks clear, McDonald added a penalty, but it was not until Mauger rampaged through with four minutes remaining that New Zealand had any margin for error.
Wales, however, have given all the tournament favourites much to think about.
NEW ZEALAND: Mulaina; Howlett, MacDonald, Mauger, Rokocoko; Spencer, Marshall; Hewett (Meeuws, 50), Mealamu (Hammett, 70), Somerville, Thorn, A Williams, Thorne (capt), McCaw, Collins (Holah, 52). Tries: Rokocoko 2, McDonald, Williams, Howlett 2, Spencer, Mauger. Cons: McDonald 5. Pen: McDonald.
WALES: G Evans (G Thomas, 5); S Williams, Taylor, Parker (Sweeney, 35), Shanklin; S Jones, Cooper (Peel, 76); I Thomas, McBryde (Davies, 62), A Jones (G Jenkins, 33), Cockbain (Wyatt, 60), Sidoli, J Thomas, Charvis (capt), Popham (D Jones, 64). Tries: Taylor, Parker, Charvis, S Williams. Cons: S Jones 4. Pens: Jones 3.
Referee: A Watson (South Africa)
