Beauden Barrett on song as New Zealand hammer Wales in Dunedin
By Andy Swales
Last Updated: 25/06/16 1:07pm
Beauden Barrett collected 26 points as New Zealand sealed a 3-0 series victory over Wales with a comprehensive 46-6 win in Dunedin.
The fly-half touched down twice, while adding five conversions and two penalties, in what was largely a one-sided encounter which bore no resemblance to the opening two Tests in the series.
Wales had gone into the final match with some hopes of securing their first win over the All Blacks in 63 years but, in the end, trudged off the field having suffered a seriously heavy defeat.
In the opening two matches, the tourists had contended well for an hour before succumbing to defeat during the final quarter.
However, on this occasion, they rarely tested the Kiwis' defence while conceding six tries to the reigning two-time world champions, who could have added quite a few more.
Two Dan Biggar penalties enabled Wales to edge 6-3 ahead after 18 minutes, after which the hosts grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck.
With 22 minutes played, Ben Smith collected a pass from namesake Aaron before going over in the corner just as he was being bundled across the touchline by Hallam Amos.
Although the All Blacks missed the conversion, they had sneaked into an 8-6 lead which they would never come close to relinquishing at the Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Shortly afterwards Barrett added three more points with a routine penalty while George Moala was denied a try by Liam Williams, who made a desperate last-ditch tackle on the line.
However, the Kiwis continued to dominate and they added a second touchdown on 35 minutes when Moala scrambled over for a well-deserved try.
Barrett's conversion left the Welsh 12 points adrift and, despite a strong finish to the half, the visitors reached the break 18-6 behind.
New Zealand snatched a third try early in the second half when Barrett forced his way through following a scrum, and when the same player added a conversion the gap had become 19 points.
Respite did arrive for Wales but only after Sam Cane had trotted off to spend time in the sin-bin.
But even before the hosts were restored to 15, Barrett had burst through an increasingly demoralised Wales backline to score a superb individual try - his second and the team's fourth.
With a testing 23 minutes still to survive, the Welsh were already 26 points adrift and try No 5 arrived via hooker Dane Coles, who collected an assist from the returning Cane before sprinting over from 15 yards after finding another gap in the desperately tired Wales defence.
And just to rub salt into the wounds of Wales, Israel Dagg notched the All Blacks' sixth try by running unchallenged from his own 22 for a break-away score, just as the visitors threatened to enjoy a rare moment of glory themselves.
The match could not end soon enough for the weary Welsh, who suffered their worst defeat at the hands of the All Black for 13 years - and 14 meetings ago.