An Alun Wyn Jones try and the boot of Dan Biggar brought the score level for half time, but the ruthless All Blacks overpowered the visitors in the second half to claim the series.
- Alun Wyn Jones scores his 9th try for Wales
- Dan Biggar kicks 7 points
Wales battled bravely once again, but the All Blacks showed their ruthless streak in the second-half to claim a 36-22 victory and a Test Series triumph.
New Zealand scored 26 unanswered points after the break with tries from Ben Smith, Beauden Barrett, Waisake Naholo and Ardie Savea to go 2-0 up in the three-match series. Alun Wyn Jones cancelled out Isreal Dagg's first-half score, and late tries from Liam Williams and Jonathan Davies proved too little, too late.
Roberts set the tone for another fierce encounter with a hard tackle on All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa. Wales, like last week, showed their attacking intent and found space around the outside of the defensive line.
Their early pressure forced New Zealand back-rower Sam Cain to slow the ball down at a ruck, and Dan Biggar kicked the resulting penalty to give Wales a 3-0 lead after 16 minutes. But the world champions replied almost immediately. Waiaski Naholo broke clear down the left wing, before Ross Moriarty offended at the ruck.
Aaron Cruden turned down a shot at goal and opted for a lineout at the corner, and the gamble paid off. The ball was worked right to Fekitoa following the set-piece, and he found the returning Dagg, who dummied past Rhys Patchell to score his 15th Test match try. Cruden converted to put the All Blacks 7-3 ahead after 20 minutes.
New Zealand had found their rhythm and began to threaten the Welsh defence.
Ben Smith used his evasive footwork to move his side close to the try-line, before the visitors gave another penalty away deep in their own 22. Cruden kicked the the easy penalty after 29 minutes, before his game was ended with a serious-looking neck injury.
But Jonathan Davies hauled Wales back into the contest at half-time. The centre smashed through the New Zealand midfield to put Wales on the front-foot. Rhys Webb spread the ball right, before shifting it back the other way. Biggar passed to Roberts, who handed the ball off to Davies, who looped a pass over Smith into the hands of Jones, who dotted down at the corner.
Biggar kicked the conversion from the touchline to level it up at 10-10 at half-time.
A Sam Warburton break fizzled out after the break, and they were punished by the clinical All Blacks after 52 minutes. Barrett wrestled through and found Smith, who sprinted past Hallam Amos to score at the corner. Barrett converted to restore New Zealand's seven point lead. The replacement stand-off pressed his case in the absence of Cruden, and put New Zealand clear two minutes later.
A strong scrum gave Barrett the perfect attacking platform, and he wrestled past Biggar to stretch over the line. And it got even worse for Warren Gatland on the hour-mark, when Kieran Read combined with Aaron Smith at the back of a scrum to setup a walk-over try for Naholo.
Replacement flanker Savea showed try-scoring runs in the family as he stepped inside to put the gloss on the victory, before Williams broke to score from long-range, and Davies then fended off a defender to score a second consolation.