Former out-half Neil Jenkins asks for Welsh focus
Welsh legend Neil Jenkins has urged Wales to remain focused for the entire game when they play the All Blacks in their final Test at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 27 November.
Wales are aiming to end a 57-year run of defeats against New Zealand, but the gulf between the two teams seems wider than ever. It appears unlikely that the Welsh will be able to stop the All Blacks claiming a Grand Slam over the home nations.
Wales could only manage a 16-16 draw with Fiji in their last Test on Friday 19 November, while New Zealand beat Ireland 38-18, despite Ireland's best performance of the season.
The All Blacks thrashed Wales 42-9 in the first Test, during Wales' visit to New Zealand in June. However, the Welsh produced a better display in the second Test in Hamilton and only lost 29-10.
Competing for the full 80 minutes is something that Jenkins feels Wales must do, if they are to challenge New Zealand.
Jenkins said, “We realise when we play the All Blacks what we do learn is the game is about 80 minutes. We play well for 40 or 50 minutes and then we seem to fall away. [In the] second Test we hung in there for a lot longer and played well towards the end,
but then gave a soft try away."
The former Welsh out-half admitted that Wales must concentrate for the whole game and try to replicate the All Blacks. "Every time we seem to play them we get reasonably tight early on, but then they seem to hit us with the killer blows after that. They
keep playing for the 80 and that's something we've got to learn from and Saturday hopefully we will learn from that."
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