Sunday 19 June 2016 08:52, UK
Luke Charteris believes Wales can end their New Zealand tour on a high if they can eradicate individual errors against the world champions.
The Welsh lock gave up the chance to bid for a Top 14 final with Racing 92 to chase history with Wales in New Zealand and the lock has not given up on achieving his goal in Dunedin, despite the hosts clinching the series with their 36-22 win in Wellington on Saturday.
While his club side will be chasing a first French title since 1990 in Paris next weekend following their last-gasp semi-final win over Clermont Auvergne, Charteris will have a first win over New Zealand in 63 years for Wales uppermost in his mind in the third and final Test.
"At half-time in Wellington, we were pretty comfortable - we weren't too tired or under the cosh. We spoke about what we needed to do in the first 20 minutes of the second half, but there were inaccuracies and individual errors and they went two tries up," said Charteris.
"They didn't have to work too hard and that is annoying and was down to a couple of individual errors. In those 10-15 minutes, they were very clinical and while we showed good character at the end, it was too little, too late.
"If we had scored when Sam Warburton intercepted and Taulupe Faletau dropped the ball, it would have been a big swing in the game. But you have got to give credit to New Zealand, they are just so clinical in those open play scenarios."
An Alun Wyn Jones try on the stroke of half-time enabled Wales to go into the break on level terms at 10-10 - but the All Blacks cut loose with four tries in the space of 14 minutes in the second half to open up a 26-point gap.
If it looked ominous for Wales at that stage, especially given they had conceded three tries and 21 points in the closing 20 minutes in the first Test, they hit back with two tries of their own in the end to cut the gap to 14 points - their narrowest defeat against the All Blacks away from home.
"We have to raise our game for next week. I didn't play in the first Test, but everyone said they felt better with the intensity of this game," added Charteris.
"It is going to be a fast game again next weekend under a closed roof, so we have to prepare for that. I thought we controlled the ball better today and had more of the ball - it is easier to try to control games when you do that.
"We just have to sort out those inaccuracies. There isn't a major swing in tactics in our game, it is just that the way New Zealand play you are going to get chances."
