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"Abysmal" – Five All Blacks who flopped in historic Wales defeat

All Blacks Rugby News
Richie Mo unga
cNew Zealand's defeat to Wales will take some explaining. Not many people saw this coming, least of all the All Blacks.
Wales hadn't beaten New Zealand since 1953. That changed with a stunning 35-28 victory in Cardiff, as Steve Tandy's side tore up the script.
For the visitors, it was a different story.
Some of New Zealand's biggest names went missing when their team needed them most. The attack looked disjointed, the defence was all over the place and a few experienced heads made some very strange decisions.
Not everyone had a shocker. Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi can hold their heads high.
But as RUCK's All Blacks player ratings showed, there were plenty who fell well short.
Here are five who had afternoons to forget.

Five All Blacks who flopped against Wales

1. Richie Mo'unga

This was meant to be the afternoon Mo'unga took charge. Instead, he looked like a man trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions.
His kicking was poor, his decisions were worse and Wales were only too happy to accept the possession he kept handing back.
Three turnovers conceded and three missed tackles tell part of the story.
He kicked his conversions, but that was about the only thing that went to plan.
New Zealand needed their fly-half to take control. He never really came close.

2. Beauden Barrett

A rare stinker from one of the game's greats.
Barrett did produce a lovely break in the second half, reminding everyone what he can do with ball in hand.
Unfortunately, there wasn't nearly enough of it.
His kicking was erratic, a loose pass proved costly and some of his decisions left you scratching your head.
The quick throw before half-time was particularly baffling.
Barrett has rescued New Zealand more times than most players could dream of. This time, he couldn't even rescue his own afternoon.

3. Josh Moorby

Not a day he'll be rushing home to watch again.
Moorby had a tough time under the high ball, with Gabriel Hamer-Webb making life especially uncomfortable.
He carried ten times but rarely looked like breaking the Welsh defence open.
Two turnovers conceded and two missed tackles didn't help his cause either.
There were moments when New Zealand desperately needed somebody to produce a bit of magic out wide.
Moorby never found his wand.

4. Scott Barrett

You expect a bit more from Scott Barrett.
The experienced lock usually brings the sort of physical edge that makes life miserable for opposition forwards.
Wales didn't seem particularly bothered by him.
He made 11 tackles, so nobody can accuse him of hiding. But his influence was limited, and New Zealand's lineout hardly covered itself in glory.
Barrett wasn't the worst player on the pitch. Far from it.
But when the All Blacks needed their senior forwards to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, he couldn't manage it.

5. George Bower

A difficult afternoon for the loosehead.
Bower made just four carries and missed three tackles before being replaced early in the second half.
The scrum had its moments, but New Zealand's forwards never really got a grip on the contest.
And when Wales started playing with confidence, Bower struggled to make much of an impression.
He certainly wasn't alone in that regard.
Still, this was a chance to stake his claim for a regular starting place. He'll know he needed to offer more.

Conclusion...

Five players, five difficult afternoons. But the bigger concern for Dave Rennie is that New Zealand looked second best for long spells against a Wales side few gave a chance.
Cardiff has produced plenty of famous rugby shocks. This one will take some explaining.

Have your say: Rate the All Blacks yourself

Think we've been too harsh? Perhaps there's somebody we've let off lightly.
Now it's your turn.
Rate every All Blacks player from the Wales defeat using RUCK's interactive ratings tool.
Give each player your verdict and see how your opinions compare with other supporters.
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