The All Blacks were immense, unstoppable and they completely overwhelmed an injury-ravaged Wales team. Even if Wales could have fielded a stronger side, the score may have appeared differently, but the result would surely not have differed.
Before a crowd of twenty two and half thousand people, the largest to watch a match held in Australia in the Rugby World Cup thus far, New Zealand put twenty six points on the board before the interval. Mercilessly pouncing on line-out mistakes from Wales, Shelford and Drake notched up tries, Kirwan gained two, all of which were effortlessly converted by fly half Grant Fox. Fox had reached a personal one hundred point tally in the competition following his first half conversions against Wales, and added another three thanks to a penalty goal before the teams went off field for a brief respite at half time.
Wales made a strong effort in the third quarter of the game. Rising star John Kirwan had to pull out a remarkable cover tackle to prevent Ieuan Evans scoring, following an overlap manoeuvred by Adrian Hadley. After replacement Stephen Sutton won the lineout John Devereux bypassed Joseph Stanley to touch down Wales’s only try of the game. Paul Thorburn added the extra two points, converting Devereux’s effort.
However, following this small spark of Welsh play the New Zealanders let off the fireworks. Flanker Alan Whetton, who had scored a try in every tournament match coming into this semi-final, continued his explosive form by notching a score. He was followed by Stanley and Mark Brooke-Cowden, with Wayne Shelford rounding off the All Black try scoring pyrotechnics.
Wales’s misery continued as Neath lock Huw Richards was shown the red card by referee Kerry Fitzgerald. The incident occurred with only three minutes of normal play left, subsequent to the Neath player punching New Zealand lock Gary Whetton. His was the first dismissal in over thirty matches played in the inaugural tournament. Richards later received a one week suspension following his offence, which ultimately became a one-match ban, as Wales’s only remaining fixture was to be the third/fourth place off against the other losing semi-finalists; Australia.
Wales were outmanoeuvred, outwitted and overpowered. The All Blacks made it nine consecutive victories over Wales (including the non-capped game of 1974). They would advance into the final to meet France, who had triumphed in their semi-final against Australia but who would inevitably run out of steam against the might of the All Blacks.
