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The All black people have shared their expectations where Wales I can challenge them this weekend Nations Championship clash at the Principality Stadium.
The test comes in the penultimate week of the pool stages at the inaugural Nations Championship, unbeaten New Zealand trail unbeaten South Africa on points difference by 67 points for top spot in the Southern Hemisphere group.
The table calls for the Kiwis to not only beat Wales, who have two wins and two losses in their competition, but beat them handsomely.
Rookie outside back Josh Moorby will be hoping to win selection for a ninth time this season after proving his ability to finish as early as 2026 by breaking the Super Rugby Pacific single-season record for tries scored and tackled five times for the All Blacks.
“We en masse respect them, they high quality squad,” Moorby said of Wales. “They had a good win bonus points during the weekend. So yes, we are I’m looking for at a a lot of things that we I can do better of the weekend only gone; we will to be attacking this a week with a a lot of intention.”
Asked to narrow down where he thinks Wales will pose the biggest challenge, Moorby said he expected mix of everything species, indeed.”
“They are a big midfield, quickly outside back, good front pack. So yes, they will to be bringing a quite a bit physically game, and we will to be getting ready this a week for that.”
Welsh midfield pair Max Llewellyn and Eddie James had their work cut out for them in their side’s 28-21 win Japan last weekend, with James making a dozen catches and Llewellyn finishing with 18.
The All Blacks are improving in their attacking play, especially in the forwards. Four of the team’s seven tries in their win Scotland were achieved in the first phase of the attack.
“Ohapparently we pull out to them up quite a bit early in the week, and yes, we really try it and nails to them down below and get everything our roles quite a bit clear in the detail, everything the finer detail inside them,” Moorby said of the ‘special’ plays.
“So yes, it is very pleasant that to be in condition that to have those moves and put to them there the paddock and result of them.”
Perhaps the biggest work in New Zealand’s back line coming into the 2026 season, highlighted again during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, was better competition under the high ball. Moorby’s selection is partly down to his ability in that area of the game, and he says the team’s recent success is the result of a lot of hard work.
“It’s apparently a massive focus, and I to feel like the the last one a little weeks we are was really successful at that, and I think about it it is only was down below that the effort we are putting in at the the end of training and during training, putting yourself in those positions and only making for sure we are victory those the the majority of the time.”
