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Rugby Union > Wales work on second half fade outs
By Daniel Gilhooly
June 23, 2010
Wales are addressing their shonky second half meltdowns, knowing a continuation will end in another thumping loss to the All Blacks in Saturday's second rugby Test at Hamilton.
By Daniel Gilhooly
June 23, 2010
Wales are addressing their shonky second half meltdowns, knowing a continuation will end in another thumping loss to the All Blacks in Saturday's second rugby Test at Hamilton.
The tourists lost their mojo soon after halftime in the first Test at Dunedin last weekend, having been all muscle and bluster in the first spell, knocking some uncertainty into the All Blacks and trailing just 15-9.
But a 42-9 rout ensued, leaving former Wales five-eighth Neil Jenkins distraught.
"The last few times we've played, we've been in the game at halftime and 50 minutes - and then they pretty much get on top of us at 50 or 60 minutes and they go away from us," said Jenkins, now the Welsh kicking coach.
"For some reason in the last three games we've played them, it's been a similar story.
"Obviously we have to play for 80 minutes, it's as simple as that."
Over the course of their last three meetings, the All Blacks have led at halftime by a combined score of 27-24.
The second half tally reads 63-6 in New Zealand's favour, including a 27-0 whitewash after the break at Carisbrook.
Jenkins believed a lack of comparative fitness was partly to blame, as was the All Blacks' renewed attacking game this year.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry sympathised with the tourists, whose players were at the end of another lengthy season.
"They travelled across the world, didn't they? Playing a Test match seven-eight days later is a big ask," he said.
"We all go through it, we don't talk about it because it's a negative, but I think it takes its toll."
Meanwhile, decisions over whether both teams' five-eighths play in the Test will be made tomorrow.
Veteran Wales five-eighth Stephen Jones has barely trained over the past two days because of a thumb injury and his fate will be known when the team are announced.
His replacement would be Ospreys 20-year-old Dan Biggar.
Aaron Cruden will replace Daniel Carter if the All Blacks' first Test star can't shake off a tight calf muscle niggle.
If ruled out, Carter will not be able to extend a world record set when he crossed for two tries at Carisbrook.
The 28-year-old has now scored 22 Test tries when playing at five-eighth, the most for any player in that position, moving clear of the 20 tallied by former Wallaby Stephen Larkham.