Wales have been unable to secure a third place finish in the Rugby World Cup after losing to the All Blacks in the Tokyo Stadium 40-17.
Hallam Amos and Josh Adams both made tries to keep the New Zealand team in close proximity, but it wasn’t enough as the All Blacks extended the gap as Joe Moody, Beauden Barrett, Ryan Crotty, Richie Mo’unga all scored tries, with Ben Smith making two to secure his team’s victory.
The match marked the end for head coach Warren Gatland, who is leaving the Welsh team after 12 years in charge.
He lead Wales to many victories, including the two World Cup semi-finals and four Six Nations titles.
It was also the final match for Wales captain, Alun Wyn Jones, who received a standing ovation walking of the pitch for a replacement in the second half, ending his international career with a total of 143 appearances.
Great to see the respect between both teams after a thrilling 80 minutes of rugby#NZLvWAL #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/tYRXangpAY
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 1, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4UgH8zp4gK/
Great respect between two true legends of the game.
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 1, 2019
The match was also New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen’s final outing, who is also bowing out after eight years in charge.
He took over from Graham Henry in 2011 and was instrumental in the All Blacks achieving their third World Cup title in 2015.
The focus is now on England and South Africa, who will bring the 2019 World Cup to a close on Saturday morning.
Words: Alysia Georgiades | Subbing: Niamh Hutchings | Featured image: Thomas Serer on Unsplash