Winger Sitiveni Sivivatu's hat trick of tries helped New Zealand clobber Wales by a record 45-10 at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday and sweep its European rugby tour.
Upset at not being allowed to perform their traditional haka before the kickoff as usual, the All Blacks dazzled Wales with the first of their five tries after only three minutes and had the result sealed by halftime when they led 28-3.
Even when they spent virtually the entire last quarter a man short, the All Blacks crossed for two more converted tries to post their highest total against the Welsh in Wales. They haven't lost to Wales for 53 years.
PHOTO: AP
`Hard lesson'
"It was a hard lesson, simple as that," Wales coach Gareth Jenkins said. "We came with a big belief, we felt as though we could be competitive, but we'd lost the game by halftime."
The 19th straight victory over the Red Dragons followed 40-point thrashings of world champion England and Six Nations champ France, and gave notice that the rugby world has only 10 months before next year's World Cup in France to try and bridge a widening gulf between New Zealand and everyone else.
"I think we have taken a step up. We are happy with what we achieved in terms of how we played," New Zealand captain Richie McCaw said. "We had 32 players on this tour who have all contributed."
When the Welsh Rugby Union ordered the All Blacks to perform the haka -- their century-old Maori challenge to opponents -- only between the national anthems, the players decided to do it for themselves in their changing room, which "put another bullet in the gun for the boys," McCaw said.
Sivivatu set up inside center Luke McAlister for the opening try and by the end of the first quarter, with the addition of three Daniel Carter penalties, New Zealand led 16-0. The Welsh scrum was crumbling and New Zealand was successfully competing in the lineouts.
"We wanted to start well because we knew the Welsh team would be fired up," McCaw said.
Wales flyhalf Stephen Jones converted a 25th-minute penalty but didn't have another chance before the interval.
When a Carter punt was charged down, New Zealand quickly regathered possession in a jolting tackle around halfway and Sivivatu ended up sliding across the line in the 34th.
Then in injury time, All Blacks prop Carl Hayman turned over Welsh ball and center Conrad Smith ran in Sivivatu.
"This game is about pressure. We wanted to create an environment to put pressure on New Zealand to make mistakes. But it was turned on ourselves," Jenkins said.
`The best'
"They are the best side in the world, they proved it today. They played some great rugby, their efficiency in the contact area was superb and when they got the ball their ability to move it wide was superb. We have got to be honest with ourselves and raise our standards," he said.
Carter started the second half with his fourth penalty and near the hour McCaw was sinbinned for his second foul in a ruck.
His teammates repelled three successive Welsh lineout drives and an attacking 5m-scrum. But a fourth attacking lineout finally rewarded the Welsh with flanker Martyn Williams driven over in the 64th.
But moments later, from a lineout 30m out, replacement flyhalf Nick Evans split the Welsh and gave Sivivatu his hat trick, and 14 tries in 12 Tests.
Replacement All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore was yellow-carded in the 75th minute, but New Zealand wasn't finished.
Sivivatu came off his wing to free fellow winger Rico Gear, who notched a hat trick against Wales a year ago, and who beat two defenders then carried two more just short of the line. Wales covered the ruck and English referee Dave Pearson awarded a penalty try, which Evans converted.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to