Wales defeated New Zealand 35–28 in Cardiff on Saturday 14 November 2026, ending a 73-year wait for victory over the All Blacks. The Nations Championship match at Principality Stadium ended a sequence of 34 consecutive Welsh defeats against the same opponents. Five Welsh tries and a determined defensive effort in the closing stages produced a result that had not been achieved since 1953.
A historic win after 34 consecutive defeats
Wales entered the match with a formidable historical record to overturn. Their previous success against New Zealand dated to 1953, and successive generations of Welsh teams had failed to defeat the All Blacks since then. The seven-point winning margin in Cardiff changed that record, not through a narrow low-scoring contest but through an open match featuring nine tries across the two sides.
The significance of the victory is not solely the number of years involved. Wales had also experienced a difficult run of international results in recent seasons. Winning against a side with New Zealand’s record therefore provided an important result in its own right. The result establishes what happened on the field; longer-term conclusions about the future performance of either team will require later matches.
Wales make an extraordinary start
The home side scored first through scrum-half Tomos Williams, followed by captain and hooker Dewi Lake. Prop Archie Griffin also crossed for a try during the first half. These scores enabled Wales to move 14–0 ahead and then 21–7 up, giving the Cardiff crowd an early indication that a rare victory might be possible.
New Zealand nevertheless responded strongly before the interval. Cortez Ratima and Wallace Sititi scored tries, and Fehi Fineanganofo added another after Wales elected to continue playing late in the half rather than end the period. By half-time the scoreboard was level at 21–21. A match that had initially appeared to be controlled by Wales was once again evenly balanced.
Two quick second-half tries put Wales back ahead
After the break, Wales regained the initiative through centre Eddie James and winger Louis Rees-Zammit. Both crossed for tries that were converted by Sam Costelow. Their scores restored a 14-point advantage, taking Wales to 35–21. Costelow’s conversions across the game also mattered because New Zealand continued to apply pressure and the final winning margin was only seven points.
New Zealand’s Peter Lakai scored the visitors’ fourth try, with Richie Mo’unga adding the conversion, reducing the gap to 35–28. Although the game had already seen extensive scoring, the last period was dominated by Wales attempting to defend their lead rather than add to it. New Zealand repeatedly attacked close to the Welsh try line.
Welsh defence withstands the final assault
Much of the closing action took place inside the Welsh 22-metre area. New Zealand kept possession in threatening positions and attempted to force a decisive fifth try. Wales resisted repeated phases of attack, and Sky Sports reported that the defenders prevented the ball from being grounded on three occasions when the visitors were held up in-goal.
That defensive period was as consequential as the attacking performance that produced five Welsh tries. The final whistle confirmed the 35–28 victory, bringing the long sequence of defeats to an end. The score should not obscure the tight finish: had New Zealand been able to turn one of those final attacks into a converted try, the outcome could have changed. The confirmed result, however, is that the hosts held on.
Key match facts and scorers
- Final score: Wales 35, New Zealand 28.
- Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.
- Date: Saturday 14 November 2026.
- Welsh tries: Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Eddie James and Louis Rees-Zammit.
- New Zealand tries: Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Fehi Fineanganofo and Peter Lakai.
- Conversions: five by Sam Costelow for Wales and four by Richie Mo’unga for New Zealand.
- Historical milestone: first Welsh victory over New Zealand since 1953, following 34 defeats.
The scoring summary explains the final totals: five converted tries gave Wales 35 points, and four converted tries gave New Zealand 28. The five Welsh scorers came from different positions, indicating that the hosts’ attacking contribution was not limited to one area of the side. The detail is drawn from the published match report rather than reconstructed from unverified live commentary.
Next Nations Championship fixtures
Wales are scheduled to face Australia at Principality Stadium on Saturday 21 November, while New Zealand are due to play England at Twickenham the same day. Those fixtures represent the teams’ next opportunities to build on, or respond to, the Cardiff outcome. They were listed in the match report and should be understood as scheduled contests, not results already achieved.
For Wales, the immediate story is the end of a long run without a victory over New Zealand. For the All Blacks, the result is a defeat despite a substantial comeback before half-time and further attacking opportunities near the end. The match illustrates the importance of both converted chances and sustained defensive execution, but a single game cannot determine how either side will perform in the rest of the competition.
What remains to be confirmed
- The results of the next matches against Australia and England on 21 November.
- Any confirmed squad changes ahead of those fixtures.
- The final Nations Championship standings once the remaining fixtures are complete.
Source: Sky Sports
