All Blacks in Wales since 1905

Like meets like

There are similarities between Wales and New Zealand, the sort of similarities that can spark rivalry, like poles, and all that. That has happened on the rugby field.

Both are smallish countries, Wales with a population of about three million, New Zealand with under four million. Both countries have men who have worked with their hands. Both countries tend to be wet. Both countries have hoity-toity neighbours who like to look down on them. And in both countries rugby has been a cultural achievement.

Oh, Wales has singers, druids, Dylan Thomas, Max Boyce, Shirley Bassey and all those choirs from chapel to Eistedfodd, but rugby is right up there.

To understand Wales you have to understand chapel, mine and rugby. Chapel is closing down, it seems, mine is closed down and rugby has been on wobbly foot as well - or at least it was till the World Cup when suddenly Wales was doing its druidic romance on the rugby field again, giving Max Boyce more to sing about.

One of his songs is entitled simply 9-3 - the score with which Llanelli beat the All Blacks - not yesterday but in 1972.

To Wales as to New Zealand all the rugby pasts happened yesterday. Hear a New Zealander speak with clenched-jaw anger about Bob Deans and you would have thought that was yesterday, though it was in 1905.

Hear a Welshman, voice rising and falling in emotion, speak of Andy Haden's Dive of Shame, and you would have thought it was yesterday, but it happened in 1978.

Here is a record of matches between the All Blacks and Wales since 1905.

1. Wales beat New Zealand 3-0 at Cardiff Arms Park on 16 December 1905

The All Blacks had won 27 victories on their first tour to the UK and Ireland - the first team called the All Blacks. Wales had not been beaten at home for six years. This was a champions of champions clash.

Unusually both teams wore numbers on their backs, as the cord listened in silence to the haka in the weak sunshine. Then Teddy Morgan led his team and 47 000 people in the singing of Land of our Fathers.

Ten minutes before half-time, from a scrum in the New Zealand 25, little scrumhalf passed to rover Cliff Pritchard for the first time. It was a reverse pass as the other backs went the other way as decoys. Pritchard gave to Rhys Gabe who gave to Morgan who beat two All Blacks to score a great try. Wales led 3-0.

Late in the second half, Billy Wallace broke clear and gave to centre Bob Deans who had a run for the line. Two Welshman hauled him down - Morgan and Gabe. When the Scottish referee, John Dallas, arrived on the scene Deans was short.

New Zealanders claimed Deans was pulled back from the line. Gabe said: "I thought he had scored. Then I felt him wriggling forward to reach the goal-line. So I pulled him back."

Wales won, and a record crowd of 47 000, who paid the record sum of £2 600, celebrated.

Deans died a few years later of an appendix problem. His dying words were: "It was a try, you know."

Scorer:

For Wales:
Try E Morgan

Teams:

Wales: HB Winfield, WM Llewellyn, EG Nicholls (captain), RT Gabe, E Morgan, CC Pritchard, PE Bush, RAM Owen, D Jones, G Travers, JJ Hodges, CM Pritchard, NW Joseph, AF Harding, JF Williams

New Zealand: GA Gillett, D McGregor, JRG Deans, J Wallace, HJ Mynott, J Hunter, F Roberts, JJ O'Sullivan, GA Tyler, S Casey, F Newton, ET Glasgow, A McDonald, CDE Seeling, D Gallaher (captain)

Referee: JD Dallas.

2. New Zealand beat Wales 19-0 at St Helen's Ground on 29 November 1924

New Zealand did a haka and then - heavens! - Wales did a wardance! The haka won by a huge score for the time.

At half-time the tough All Blacks led 11-0 after Maurice Brownlie and Bill Irvine had scored tries.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
tries: Bill Irvine, Maurice Brownlie, Karl Svenson
Cons: Nicholls 2
Drop: Nicholls

Teams:

Wales:

TAW Johnson, WR Harding, AR Stock, AE Jenkins, E Finch, JJ Wetter (captain), E Williams, J Delahay, DS Parker, JH Gore, MD Jones, C Williams, S Morris, CH Pugh, DD Hiddlestone

New Zealand: G Nepia, J Steel, SE Cook, KS Svenson, MF Nicholls, NP McGregor, JJ Mill, WR Irvine, Q Donald, MJ Brownlie, RFR Masters, J Richardson (captain), CJ Brownlie, LF Cupples, JH Parker

Referee: Colonel JS Brunton (England)

3. Wales beat New Zealand 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park on 21 December 1935

Three tries beat two tries, which seems fair enough.

There was no score at half-time on this sunny, cold afternoon. New Zealand scored first when Nelson Ball went over but after that Wales, as flyhalf Cliff Jones did magical things. But 10-3 to Wales became 12-10 to New Zealand as Mike Gilbert kicked a dropped goal (then worth four points) and Ball scored at the posts.

It was almost over when Wilf Wooller broke, chipped and chased. The ball bounced back over his head but Geoffrey Jones gathered and scored.

There was much rejoicing amongst 50 000 people.

Scorers:

For Wales:
Tries: Rees- Jones 2, Davey
Cons: Jenkins 2

For New Zealand:
Tries: Ball 2
Con: Gilbert
Drop: Gilbert

Teams:

Wales: VGJ Jenkins, GR Rees-Jones, EC Davey (captain), J Idwal Rees, NW Wooller, CW Jones, H Tanner, H Payne, DEJ Tarr, TJ Rees, TGH Williams, EV Watkins, IG Prosser, J Lang, AM Rees

New Zealand: GDM Gilbert, GF Hart, NA Mitchell, N Ball, CJ Oliver, BS Sadler, A Lambourn, WE Hadley, D Dalton, ST Reid, RR King, JE Manchester (captain), A Mahoney, HF McLean

Referee: CH Gadney (England

4. Wales beat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park on 19 December 1953

A clever forward did it. Clem Thomas made the try that won the match. The burly flank kicked a crosskick. Ken Jones, Olympic sprinter, chased, gathered and scored. At the time the score was 8-all.

Brian Fitzpatrick's son Sean also played against Wales.

Scorers:

For Wales:
Tries: Judd, Ken Jones
Cons: Rowlands 2
Pen: Rowlands

For New Zealand:
Try: Clark
Con: Jarden
Pen: Jarden

Teams:

Wales: G Williams, KJ Jones, GM Griffiths, BL Williams (captain), G Rowlands, CI Morgan, WR Willis, WOG Williams, DM Davies, CC Meredith, ER John, JRG Stephens, S Judd, JA Gwilliam, RCC Thomas

New Zealand: RWH Scott, AEG Elsom, JM Tanner, RA Jarden, BBJ Fitzpatrick, LS Haig, K Davis, KL Skinner, RC Hemi, IJ Clarke, RA White, GM Dalzell, RC Stuart (captain), WA McCaw, WH Clark.

Referee: PE Cooper (England)

5. New Zealand beat Wales 6-0 at Cardiff Arms Park on 21 December 1963

No tries, but the All Blacks loved their first Test victory at Cardiff Arms park. Don Clarke scored early in the first half, Bruce Watt after 13 minutes in the second half.

Much was the upset when Colin Meads charges into Clive Rowlands who was taken off on a stretcher.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
Pen: Clarke
Drop: Watt

Teams:

Wales: TR Hodgson, DRR Morgan, DYK Jones, J Uzzell, DIE Bebb, D Watkins, DCT Rowlands (captain), KT Jones, NCR Gale, LJ Cunningham, B Price, BE Thomas, DJ Hayward, AEI Pask, A Thomas

New Zealand: DB Clarke, MJ Dick, PF Little, RW Caulton, DA Arnold, BA Watt, KC Briscoe, KF Gray, D Young, J Whineray (captain), AJ Stewart, CE Meads, J Nathan, DJ Graham, KR Tremain.

Referee: RC Williams (Ireland)

6. New Zealand beat Wales 13-6 at Cardiff Arms Park on 11 November 1967

The wind blew, the rain teemed down and the team Fred Allen coached was too strong for Wales. Defeat started when Fergie McCormick missed a penalty and John Jeffery gave a wayward pass. Bill Davis swooped on it and scored.

The All Blacks could have had their first Grand Slam had the Ireland match not been cancelled at the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK.

Scorers:

For Wales:
Pen: Gale
Drop: John

For New Zealand:
Tries: Birtwistle, Davis
Cons: McCormick 2
Pen: McCormick

Teams:

Wales: PJ Wheeler, SJ Watkins, WH Raybould, I Hall, NW Keri Jones, B John, GO Edwards, D Williams, NCR Gale (captain), BE Thomas, ML Wiltshire, WT Mainwaring, D Hughes, JJ Jeffery, J Taylor

New Zealand: WF McCormick, MJ Dick, IR MacRae, WM Birtwistle, WL Davis, EW Kirton, CR Laidlaw, KE Gray, BE McLeod, BL Muller, SC Strahan, CE Meads, KR Tremain, BJ Lochore (captain), GC Williams.

Referee: MH Titcomb (England)

7. New Zealand beat Wales 19-16 at Cardiff Arms Park on 21 December 1972

The man who scored the winning try ended the day in disgrace. Sent home, he did not go home. Keith Murdoch, the big All Black prop, was a hero in the afternoon as he scored his side's try. He was a villain that night at the Angel Hotel when he resented the intrusion of a security guard who wished to stop him getting a late snack from a fridge.

Murdoch was sent home. He did not go home, such, presumably, was the disgrace he felt. Instead he got off in Australia's Northern Territory where he still is.

The difference was a penalty goal, and Phil Bennett, great flyhalf, missed one with the last kick of the match.

There was much Welsh anger that Johnny Johnson did not allow a try to JPR Williams whom he instead penalised for crawling.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
Try: Murdoch
Pens: Karam 5

For Wales :
Try: Bevan
Pens: Bennett 4

Teams:

Wales: JPR Williams, TGR Davies, RTE Bergiers, JL Shanklin, JC Bevan, P Bennett, GO Edwards,, G Shaw, J Young, DB Llewellyn, WD Thomas (captain), DL Quinnell, WD Morris, TM Davis, J Taylor

New Zealand: JF Karam, BG Williams, DA Hales, RAM Parkinson, GB Batty, RE Burgess, SAM Going, JD Matheson, RW Norton, K Murdoch, PJ Whiting, HH Macdonald, AJ Wyllie (replaced by AI Scown), AR Sutherland, IA Kirkpatrick (captain).

Referee: RF Johnson (England)

8. New Zealand beat Wales 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park on 11 November 1978

The Dive of Shame!

The Dive of Shame, the Welsh dubbed it. The player concerned admits it. The referee says he saw something else.

Wales kicked four penalty goals and led 12-11.

If you take a Grand Slam for touring teams to the UK and Ireland to mean beating the Four Home Unions, then this was the year New Zealand achieved that feat, but they came close to coming unstuck against Wales in the second of the four matches.

Andy Haden, the diver, enjoyed talking about the incident. He devoted a whole chapter to it in his autobiography Boots 'n All. He and lock partner Frank Oliver were having problems in the line-outs and discussed ways of dealing with them during the week before the match.

Graham Mourie, the All Black captain, had first mentioned the possibility during a practice session and at an injury break Haden thought of it. He writes:

"I walked over to Graham Mourie, who was alongside the injured Doug Bruce, and said quietly in his ear, 'I'm going to dive - shall I?' He looked at me with a somewhat sideways glance, then smiled. That was good enough for me... I walked back to where Frank Oliver was waiting for the lineout, summoning his strength for one last effort, and told him what I had told Mourie. I saw a faint smile break through his deeply concentrating expression."

Bobby Windsor threw in. Haden, at No.4 in the line-out, dived out of the line-out as if shoved though Allan Martin and Jeff Squire had no interest in him.

Quittenton penalised Wales.

Afterwards and forever after, he says that he penalised Geoff Wheel at No.2 for getting leverage off Oliver.

Brian McKechnie, a replacement, a test cricketer, kicked the goal that won the match.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
Try: Wilson
Pens: McKechnie 3

For Wales:
Pens: Davies 3, Fenwick

Teams:

Wales: JPR Williams (captain), JJ Williams, RWR Gravell, SP Fenwick, CFW Rees, WG Davies, TD Holmes, AG Faulkner, RW Windsor, G Price, GAD Wheel, AJ Martin, J Squire, DL Quinnell, P Ringer

New Zealand: CJ Currie (replaced by BJ McKechnie), SS Wilson, BJ Robertson, WM Osborne, BG Williams, OD Bruce, DS Loveridge, WK Bush, AG Dalton, BR Johnstone, AM Haden, FJ Oliver, GNK Mourie (captain), GA Seear, LM Rutledge

Referee: RC Quittenton (England)

9. New Zealand beat Wales 23-3 at Cardiff Arms Park on 1 November 1980

It was Wales's biggest home defeat for 98 years. It was the first time a visiting team had scored four tries against Wales for 20 years - and it was the year of the Welsh Rugby Union's centenary.

The All Black pack was simply much too good.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries: Mourie, Allen, Fraser, Reid
Cons: Rollerson 2

For Wales:
Pen: Fenwick

Teams

Wales: JPR Williams, HE Rees (replaced by PJ Morgan), DS Richards, SP Fenwick (captain), RA Ackerman, WG Davies, TD Holmes, CD Williams, AJ Phillips, G Price, DL Quinnell, AJ Martin, J Squire (replaced by ET Butler), GP Williams, P Ringer

New Zealand: DL Rollerson, SS Wilson, BJ Robertson, WM Osborne, BG Fraser, NH Allen, DS Loveridge, GA Knight, HR Reid, RC Ketels, AM Haden, G Higginson, GNK Mourie (captain), MG Mexted, MW Shaw

Referee: JR West (Ireland)

10. New Zealand beat Wales 34-9 at Cardiff Arms Park on 4 November 1989

For the second time in succession - albeit some nine years apart - New Zealand scored four tries to none against Wales, but Grant Fox's boot made the victory so much bigger.

As in 1980 the All Black forwards were far too good.

Scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries: Innes 2, Bachop, Wright
Cons: Fox 3
Pens: Fox 4

For Wales:
Pen: Thorburn

Teams:

Wales: PH Thorburn, MR Hall, MG Ring, GW Evans, A Emyr, A Clement, RN Jones (captain), M Griffiths, KH Phillips, D Young, PT Davies, GO Llewellyn (captain), P Pugh, MA Jones

New Zealand: JA Gallagher, CR Innes, JT Stanley, NJ Schuster, TJ Wright, GJ Fox, GTM Bachop, SC McDowell, SBT Fitzpatrick, RW Loe, GW Whetton, MJ Pierce, AT Earl, WT Shelford (captain), MR Brewer

Referee: AR MacNeill (Australia)

11. New Zealand beat Wales 42-7 at Wembley on 29 November 1997

Wales had its biggest ever "home" crowd - in London! 76 000 watched this match while Cardiff built the Millennium Stadium.

Christian Cullen had a magic afternoon, the first All Black to score a hat-trick of tries against Wales.

Andrew Mehrtens kicked magnificently, but the kick of the match was undoubtedly Zinzan Brooke's dropped goal.

Scorers:

For New Zealand
Tries: Cullen 3, Randell, Marshall
Cons: Mehrtens 4
Pens: Mehrtens 2
Drop: ZV Brooke

For Wales:
Try: Walker
Con: Jenkins

Teams:

Wales: KA Morgan, G Thomas, AG Bateman (replaced by AC Thomas), IS Gibbs (replaced by LB Davies), NK Walker, NCR Jenkins, R Howley, CD Loader (replaced by SC John), BH Williams (replaced by JM Humphries), D Young, GO Llewellyn, MJ Voyle, RC Appleyard, N Thomas (replaced by SAM Williams), JRG Jones (captain)

New Zealand: C Cullen, JW Wilson, FE Bunce, WK Little (replaced by JJ McLeod), JT Lomu, AP Mehrtens, JW Marshall (captain), CW Dowd, NJ Hewitt (replaced by SBT Fitzpatrick), OM Brown (replaced by MR Allen), ID Jones, RAM Brooke, TC Randell (replaced by A Blowers), ZV Brooke, JA Kronfeld

Referee: J Erickson (Australia)

All the results between Wales and New Zealand down the years.

Wales beat New Zealand 3-0 at Cardiff Arms Park on 16 December 1905
New Zealand beat Wales 19-0 at St Helen's Ground, Swansea, 29 November 1924
Wales beat New Zealand 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park on 21 December 1935
Wales beat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park on 19 December 1953
New Zealand beat Wales 6-0 at Cardiff Arms Park on 21 December 1963
New Zealand beat Wales 13-6 at Cardiff Arms Park on 11 November 1967
New Zealand beat Wales 19-0 Christchurch 31 May 1969
New Zealand beat Wales 33-12 at Eden Park, Auckland, on 14 June 1969
New Zealand beat Wales 19-16 at Cardiff Arms Park on 2 December 1972
New Zealand beat Wales 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park on 11 November 1978
New Zealand beat Wales 23-3 at Cardiff Arms Park on 1 November 1980
New Zealand beat Wales 49-6 at Ballymore, Brisbane, on 14 June 1987
New Zealand beat Wales 52-3 at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on 28 May 1988
New Zealand beat Wales 54-9 at Eden Park, Auckland, on 11 June 1988
New Zealand beat Wales 34-9 at Cardiff Arms Park on 4 November 1989
New Zealand beat Wales 34-9 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on 31 May 1995
New Zealand beat Wales 42-7 at Wembley Stadium, London, 29 November 1997
New Zealand beat Wales 43-17 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 23 November 2002
New Zealand beat Wales 55-3 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton on 21 June 2003
New Zealand beat Wales 53-37 at Stadium Australia, Sydney, on 2 November 2003