Kickoff: 12 Noon (EAT), 1st November 2019.
Wales will come face to face with New Zealand at the Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo City. Both teams would rather be in the final but they fell to the finalists last weekend. Both coaches Steve Hansen of New Zealand and Warren Garland of Wales will both be in charge of their respective teams for the last time. Both are Kiwis. Steve Hansen is also a former Wales Head Coach.
Both teams are still hurting from the semis and this could be the most difficult game to raise up the fighting spirits of the players on both sides. The Welsh have made 9 changes to the squad while New Zealand have made 7. For the All Blacks will also bid farewell to players Sonny Bill Williams, Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty, Matt Todd and Captain Kieran Read. The Welsh will bid byes to their Captain Alun Wyn Jones (143 caps), Defense Coach Shaun Edwards and Forwards Coach Robin McBryde.
The playing record between the two sides is lopsided. The first Test between the two adversaries goes way back in 1905 when Wales won 3-0 at the Cardiff Arms Park during 1905-06 the All Blacks tour to Europe and Northern America. There have been a total of 34 games between these sides with New Zealand garnering 31 wins and Wales 3.
The Welsh last beat the Kiwis on 19th December 1953 and since then have gone to lose 30 games straight. These are the figures that will help spur the Welsh into an overdrive against the World's most successful team. The Welsh have had many injuries over the past 6 weeks hence more changes on the squad. Warren Garland who has been in charge of Wales for 12 solid years would want to pull one back on his Countryman.
Apart from National pride at stake, the World Rugby rankings will play a smaller part. New Zealand find themselves in a strange 3rd position while Wales are today ranked 4th. Both sides want to leave Tokyo, Japan with a win. Hansen was in charge of the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand which was under Steve Hansen.
Rugby256 predicts a New Zealand win based on their well known bounce after a loss and they seem to have fresher bodies. What is your prediction?
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