Staff Reporter
NEW Zealand ended their 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign with a third place after beating the men from Wales with a commanding 40 – 17.
Full-back Ben Smith ran in two tries as the All Blacks eased the pain of their semi-final defeat to England, while also denying Wales the chance to equal their best-ever finish at a World Cup.
Welsh winger Josh Adams almost broke through for his seventh try of the tournament in the first minute, but soon fell two scores behind as a more expansive New Zealand punished defensive lapses. Joe Moody and Beauden Barrett went over before Hallam Amos got Wales on the board.
Rhys Patchell’s penalty put the game briefly in the balance but the All Blacks surged clear before half-time, with Ben Smith scoring twice in quick succession, punishing a careless Wales turnover before crossing at the corner after a fine pass from scrum-half Aaron Smith. New Zealand stretched their lead to 35 – 10 moments after the break, with two departing veterans combining well.
Sonny Bill Williams offloaded to Ryan Crotty, with Aaron Smith again pivotal in the buildup. Adams secured top spot in the try-scoring charts with a score in the 58th minute, but the final result was never in doubt, with fly-half Richie Mo’unga scoring the All Blacks’ sixth try near the end of the match sealing the bronze medal victory for the Kiwi’s.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup tournament will reach its climax when South Africa takes on England in the final match which is set to kick off at 11:00 on Saturday.
