Historic Hat-Trick Overshadowed by All Blacks Dominance
In a match that will be remembered for both individual brilliance and collective power, New Zealand surged past Wales 52-26 at a packed Principality Stadium. While the scoreline extends Wales's losing streak against the All Blacks to 34 matches dating back to 1953, the game provided moments of genuine hope for the home side, particularly through the historic achievement of wing Tom Rogers.
Rogers Writes His Name in History Books
Scarlets wing Tom Rogers became the first Welshman ever to score a hat-trick against New Zealand, crossing the line three times in a performance of pure determination. Each try came as an immediate response to All Blacks scores, keeping Wales in contention for much of the match. His first came after a clever grubber kick from Tomos Williams, the second followed superb work from Louis Rees-Zammit, while the third was created by a fine long pass from Joe Hawkins.
The match began in familiar fashion for Welsh supporters, with New Zealand scoring after just three minutes. However, Rogers's immediate response set the tone for a first half that saw the teams trade blows. Two of New Zealand's early tries came from lineouts, with Caleb Clarke and Tamaiti Williams both crossing, while Ruben Love scored a brilliant individual effort, slipping through the defence with a dummy and step before sprinting 30 metres.
Second Half Collapse Proves Costly
At 24-21 just five minutes into the second half, with only a Damian McKenzie penalty separating the teams, Welsh hopes were high. However, the All Blacks then demonstrated why they remain one of rugby's most formidable forces, scoring three tries in just 10 minutes to effectively seal the victory.
The crucial moment came when Rieko Ioane scored New Zealand's fourth try after television replays overturned an initial decision to disallow the score. From there, Welsh discipline began to crumble, with Gareth Thomas sent to the sin-bin, followed shortly after by Taine Plumtree. The numerical advantage allowed New Zealand to add three more tries in the final quarter, two from replacement Sevu Reece.
Despite the comprehensive nature of the defeat, Wales did have the final word when Louis Rees-Zammit scored a late consolation try after excellent work from Blair Murray. The stadium erupted in appreciation for their team's effort, recognising the signs of improvement against one of the world's best teams.
The match, refereed by Hollie Davidson before an attendance of 68,388, may ultimately go down as another defeat in the record books, but Tom Rogers's historic achievement and Wales's periods of competitive rugby provide genuine cause for optimism as Steve Tandy continues to shape the team's future direction.
