# Cheating, scandal and drama – Wales agony v All Blacks

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/cheating-scandal-and-drama-wales-agony-v-all-blacks/
- Published: 2026-11-13T04:38:19+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T05:24:42+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx5y131nlrvro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Sport, UK, World

## Key points

- Wales have not beaten New Zealand since 1953.
- A planned dive helped decide the 1978 match.
- Wales lost by one point in 2004 after a timing mix-up.

## Summary

Wales have lost to New Zealand in every meeting since their 1953 victory, a run that has lasted more than 70 years and weighed heavily on generations of Welsh players. Two near misses stand out: a disputed late penalty in 1978 and a one-point defeat in 2004, when Wales thought they had more time to attack.

In 1978, New Zealand led 12-10 after scoring the only try, but Wales dominated much of the match. All Blacks lock Andy Haden later said he had planned to dive from a line-out to win a penalty; referee Roger Quittenton awarded it, and Brian McKechnie kicked the winning points. In 2004, tries by Tom Shanklin and Mefin Davies helped Wales lead at half-time, while Joe Rokocoko scored twice for New Zealand; Wales finished a point behind after Stephen Jones kicked the ball away, believing injury time remained.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.