Rennie admits All Blacks were 'one-dimensional' after first Wales defeat since 1953

New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie conceded his side were too static and “one-dimensional” in attack after the All Blacks fell 35-28 to Wales at the Principality Stadium on Saturday — their first defeat to the Welsh since 1953 and their fourth loss of 2026 under his tenure.

Despite generating possession and creating half-breaks throughout the match, New Zealand could not find a way through Steve Tandy’s defence, with Rennie pointing to poor decision-making as the root cause of the collapse.

“We created opportunities. Just thought we got a bit one-dimensional,” Rennie said at his post-match press conference. “There are times where maybe we could have just stayed on one side of the field and played through them. Where we had good numbers, and we’d play away from that — we tried to carry through them when we’ve actually squeezed them up, and now it’s a chance to pick them off. That’s decision-making under pressure, and they provided a lot of pressure.”

The All Blacks turned the ball over nine times in the first half alone, with four of those coming from offloads — a play Rennie described as a “point of difference” for his side but one that required sharper execution.

“It’s about the quality of the decision, deciding the target and then using the appropriate pass,” he said. “I thought maybe the quality of our decision-making wasn’t sharp enough.”

New Zealand re-emerged from the dressing room at half-time well before Wales, but the momentum remained firmly with the home side throughout the second period. Rennie acknowledged his team failed to start either half with the required intensity and said he would review the timing of his substitutions.

“It’s always a guess,” Rennie said of his bench decisions. “You get a feel around things — Wallace Sititi was going great guns, so we decided to put Leicester [Fainga’anuku] on for him. When you lose, it’s not just on the players. It’s everything around how we prepare the team, selection, and our decision-making around substitutions. We’ll look at all of that.”

The defeat marks a historic moment for Welsh rugby, with the 55,000 supporters inside the Principality Stadium witnessing their side end a 73-year wait for a victory over the All Blacks.