Wales edged New Zealand 35-28 in the Nations Championship in Cardiff on Saturday to claim their first victory over the All Blacks since 1953.

Scrum-half Tomos Williams scored one of five Welsh tries in a superb individual performance as the home side ended a 34-match losing run against the three-time Rugby World Cup winners.

Wales's heroic defence held out the visitors in the final 25 minutes after the All Blacks had made it a seven-point game thanks to Peter Lakai's try.

The victory is even more remarkable with Welsh rugby in dire straights after a poor run of results since the 2023 World Cup, and a long line of off-field issues overshadowing the sport in the country.

Meanwhile, Will Joseph marked his first Test start with a record-equalling five tries as England thrashed Japan 78-15 in their Nations Championship clash at Twickenham on Sunday.

The recalled Gloucester wing, winning just his second cap, seized his chance to stake a claim for a place in England coach Steve Borthwick's squad for next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia in style.

The younger brother of former England international Jonathan Joseph, Will struck as early as the opening minute.

England crossed Japan's line eight times in a first half that finished with Borthwick's men out of sight at 49-10 and Joseph having run in four of England's eventual 13 tries.

An utterly lopsided encounter saw England post both their highest score and record-winning margin against Japan, surpassing a 60-7 success at the 1987 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Joseph had a hat-trick inside an opening quarter when England scored five tries as they capitalised on a man advantage after Japan lock Harry Hockings was given a 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Ellis Genge.

And when Joseph went over in the 57th minute off an intercept, he became just the fifth player to score five tries in a Test for England after Douglas Lambert, Rory Underwood, Josh Lewsey and Henry Arundell.

Earlier, Argentina survived late nerves to beat winless Italy 19-14 in a scrappy Nations Championship in Genoa on Saturday.

Italy had lost all four of their games in the first year of the inter-hemisphere tournament without even collecting a bonus point but took a fourth minute lead.

The result left Italy doomed to finish last in the Northern Hemisphere pool.

They face Fiji in their last match in Udine on November 21 and could face the same opponent again the following weekend in the wooden-spoon match at the finals at Twickenham.

Argentina, whose only previous win in the competition was at home to Wales in July, overtook Australia to climb to third in the Southern Hemisphere pool.

They face Northern leaders France next weekend in Paris. (AFP)




Edited by Tony Sabine