Mo'unga admits All Blacks' guesswork 'not part of our DNA' after Wales hold firm in Cardiff

Richie Mo’unga has offered a blunt assessment of New Zealand’s attacking failings after the All Blacks were held scoreless in the second half by Wales at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with coach Dave Rennie describing his side as “one-dimensional” in a performance that raised serious questions about their clinical edge.

New Zealand, who made ten changes for the fixture, dominated possession and territory for long stretches but were repeatedly repelled by a resolute Welsh defensive line that forced tackle after tackle. Despite generating a string of opportunities close to the line, the All Blacks could not get the ball down and were made to pay for a series of handling errors and disciplinary lapses.

Mo’unga, returning to the starting lineup for the first time since facing South Africa in Baltimore, struggled to impose himself alongside captain and fullback Beauden Barrett, who also found it difficult to influence the game.

“We just weren’t clinical, accurate enough,” Mo’unga told reporters in Cardiff. “Definitely had our chances and opportunities, but a few offloads that didn’t quite go to hand. Probably a little bit reckless and a bit of indiscipline let them sort of have momentum.”

The Crusaders playmaker acknowledged that Wales, described by Mo’unga as “desperate” and “passionate”, executed effectively whenever they won turnovers. He suggested New Zealand’s decision-making in the first half — particularly around offloading and exit plays — lacked the composure required at this level.

“I don’t know if it was a psyche; maybe the individual saw something that made them make that decision, and it’s the sort of licence that we all have as players,” Mo’unga said. “Those are the things that are not part of our DNA — guessing. And if we didn’t see the picture, then we would have carried and tried to get out of our half. Those are the lessons we learned.”

The 58-Test first-five also reflected on the difficulty of breaching the Welsh line in the closing stages, noting that Wales made almost three times as many tackles as New Zealand in the match. “It felt like we were so close, and had we got one more pass away, maybe we could have walked in a different way. But just credit to this Wales side across the defence — pretty desperate — and we could sense that we just weren’t good enough to execute tonight.”

Rennie’s admission that his side lacked a finishing edge will add to the scrutiny on a New Zealand squad that, despite their dominance in phases, could not convert pressure into points when it mattered most.