Wales beat New Zealand for the first time in 73 years, Digi Mart USA News (Cardiff, Wales): Wales defeated the All Blacks 35-28 in Cardiff on 14 November 2026, ending a 73-year wait and 34 previous defeats against New Zealand. The last Welsh win over the All Blacks came on 19 December 1953, according to the BBC report.
The result came as a surprise to many. Wales were ranked 10th in the world, while New Zealand were ranked top before kick-off, and Wales had endured a difficult period since the 2023 World Cup, including a record 18 straight Test defeats over a winless run of 16 months.
Wales led 14-0, 21-7 and 35-21 during the match, scoring tries from Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake, Eddie James, Louis Rees-Zammit and prop Archie Griffin. The five tries were the most Wales have scored against New Zealand in Cardiff.
The defensive effort in the final quarter was central to the win. Wales conceded no try in that period, and the All Blacks were held up over the Welsh line on three occasions.
The official Nations Championship chart recorded a Welsh record 346 tackles, with lock Dafydd Jenkins making 38.
Head coach Steve Tandy became the first Wales coach to beat New Zealand, a feat that the BBC report notes eluded several World Cup-winning and Grand Slam-winning coaches. New Zealand captain Beauden Barrett said the All Blacks felt they had hit a brick wall.
The attendance of 55,152 at the Principality Stadium was the lowest for this fixture at the venue, with almost 20,000 seats empty. Wales face Australia in Cardiff next Saturday.
