Rugby: Wales not only team to suffer mid-week thrashing

Tom Jones and Aled Davies of Wales look dejected after a loss to the Chiefs. Photo / Getty

Wales weren't flash. Let's leave it at that.

Before anyone gets too smug or condescending, there are some of us who remember something similar from the All Blacks.

Almost 24 years ago the mid-weekers were thrashed 40-17 by Sydney on their tour of Australia in 1992.

They'd won seven previous tour games but lost the opening test 16-15 in Sydney and the second in Brisbane 19-17.

From there the All Blacks travelled to Penrith for the midweek match before the third and final test in Sydney.

A crowd of about 9000 turned up to see Sydney outscore the All Blacks five tries to three, kick buckets of goals and inflict a record defeat.

Loose forward Pat Lam, who was called up as a tour replacement, was hurt in the game and went home injured. It was to be his only All Black appearance while Glenn Taylor and Dallas Seymour also made their All Black debuts in this match.