Wales were made to work hard for their win over Japan last weekend and now a monumental challenge awaits at the Principality Stadium as they welcome the mighty New Zealand to Cardiff in the Nations Championship.
While the Welsh managed to beat the Brave Blossoms 28-21 last week, the performance from Steve Tandy’s side left much to be desired.
Meanwhile, New Zealand showed what a class outfit they are last weekend, as they went from leading 24-21 at half-time in Edinburgh to beat Scotland 43-21 at the full-time whistle.
That second-half performance at Murrayfield was a perfect example of classic All Blacks rugby and if the tourists can pick up where they left off, it could well be a long 80 minutes for Wales on Saturday.
Wales v New Zealand Tips Summary
Best Bet - New Zealand -33.5 @ 11/10
Alternative Bet - Fehi Fineanganofo 2 or more tries @ 11/8
Bet Builder - Wallace Sititi, Josh Moorby & Beauden Barrett anytime tryscorers @ 6/1
Wales v New Zealand Prediction
Best Bet: New Zealand -33.5 @ 11/10
New Zealand earned a 52-26 win the last time they faced Wales in Cardiff last year and an even bigger scoring margin is expected here.
The All Blacks have come a long way since Dave Rennie took the reins and that progress was made abundantly clear in that second-half display against the Scots.
Winning that second half 19-0, New Zealand were imperious, without even really having to hit top gear.
Wales’s defence continues to be a concern and even though the All Blacks have made chances, the likes of Richie Mo'unga, Anton Lienert-Brown and Fehi Fineanganofo coming into the starting lineup are no downgrades.
The strength in depth in Kiwi rugby is frightening and given how Wales’ attack is still not clicking, the All Blacks with a -33.5 handicap is the way to go.
Alternative Bet: Fehi Fineanganofo 2 or more tries @ 11/8
Coming into this Nations Championship campaign on the back of a remarkable Super Rugby Pacific season, Fehi Fineanganofo is fancied to score at least two tries on Saturday.
A key figure in helping the Hurricanes end their wait for a title, Fineanganofo scored 17 tries in 14 Super Rugby Pacific appearances.
A prolific finisher, the 24-year-old will cause this Welsh defence serious problems and he can bag at least a brace at the Principality Stadium.
Wales v New Zealand Bet Builder Tip
Wallace Sititi anytime tryscorer
Josh Moorby anytime tryscorer
Beauden Barrett anytime tryscorer
Pays 6/1
This Bet Builder continues on the theme of the anytime tryscorer market and backs three tryscorers from last week to get their names back on the scoresheet in Cardiff.
Wallace Sititi is such a dangerous operator in the loose and, having scored five tries for the Chiefs last season, he’s backed to score again on Saturday.
Josh Moorby struck against Scotland and after also scoring 17 tries for the Hurricanes last season, it would be little surprise to see him touch down again here.
Finally, Beauden Barrett showed why he’s an All Blacks great with his brace against Scotland and with the timing of his runs from full-back, he too is fancied to score again this weekend.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Wales were made to work for their 28-21 victory over Japan last weekend in their Nations Championship opener for the month
New Zealand earned a 43-21 win over Scotland in their last outing
The All Blacks have won their last 34 games against Wales
The last win for Wales over New Zealand was back in December 1953
The All Blacks won 52-26 when they faced Wales last year in Cardiff
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
