Nothing else mattered
By Andy Bull of the Guardian
In those first few moments, in the silence that fell for the Haka, and the first swell of Cwm Rhondda that followed, all the worries, whys, and wherefores about Wales' missing players, the wrangle between clubs and countries, and what it all means about the state of the international game, slipped out of mind. For the minute, at least, none of it seemed to matter so much.
At the end 80,000 fans headed out into the night, ready for another drink, or three, maybe a bite to eat, and a regretful word or two about what Wales should have done differently. It finished up an ugly defeat, but the disappointment was leavened with some happiness that Test rugby was back. As for the win, well, there's always next time.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
By Delme Parfit, Wales online
The All Blacks came to Cardiff having been away from home in a Covid bubble for more than a month and having played seven Test matches since September 5.
It would have been easy for them to use tiredness as an excuse. Not a bit of it.
Before the game, Jamie Roberts and Sam Warburton reminisced pitch-side about how on plenty of occasions the Wales teams they played in were 'there or thereabouts after 65 minutes, but could never seal the deal.
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
By the final 15 minutes Wales were out on their feet, the All Blacks running riot. It was real connoisseur's stuff, the outcome of the game long since decided.
And it was yet more proof that all the observations we've made for the last half a century about Wales being unable to counter New Zealand intensity ring as true today as ever they did.
And here's Wales coach Wayne Pivac
"We are very happy with where we were at 28-16 with eighteen minutes to go, but the All Blacks made us pay for mistakes. We'll learn a lot from that game. It's another example of the small margins.
"A couple of intercepts don't help. A silly penalty after we scored let them in. You are always going to have a look at some decisions but the officials come up with the decisions they come up with.
Winning captain Sam Whitelock
"It felt like we had a great preparation this week. It has been amazing, even in our bubble - it's been a great atmosphere. The boys lifted to it. I thought Beaudy and his little brother were awesome.
"I think if you look at Beaudy it shows the quality of the man. For him to put all of it to the side and put us on the front foot straight away it shows what he is like. That is why he has won 100 caps.
"We wanted to ramp it up a little bit in the second half. I took a couple of shots at goal because it was close. The Welsh boys were big and physical and there are a number of guys on both sides who have got bruised bodies - it was hard out there."
Beauden Barrett...
"I'm somewhat relieved it is over. It has been a tense week because of all the support that has rolled in. What a place to do it - the Welsh fans are hard to beat.
"We always had to work against a very good Welsh side. I am proud of our boys. We showed various ways we can play and adapted well to the yellow card.
"I just wanted to focus on playing well but tonight I'll enjoy the boys' company and thank everyone who has helped me. It is a very competitive team to be a part of and we all push each other."
Gregor Paul from NZME
"There were portents of doom hanging over the test in Cardiff, mostly driven by fears Wales were vulnerable because they weren't able to access all of their best players.
"The fears proved to be entirely founded in the end as Wales were duly torn apart and reduced to a sorry rabble, unsure where to go or what to do by the last 20 minutes.
"But while the carnage duly arrived as predicted, the source wasn't so much the lack of quality within the Welsh team, but the abundance of it within the All Blacks.
"Wales could have had every player in the land available, even played with a few extra and they most likely still would have withered and then sunk without a trace against an All Blacks team that produced a patient, disciplined and impressively controlled effort.
"The Welsh will have sat in their changing room after this one and known they were blown off the park by a team that was light years ahead in speed of thought and movement."
