Beauden Barrett marks 100th Test with two tries

Beauden Barrett took less than four minutes to score a try on his 100th Test for New Zealand – and he crossed for another in the final minute, shortly after being named Player of the Match against Wales.

Both tries at the Principality Stadium came from intercepts. For the first, the All Blacks fly-half picked off a Gareth Anscombe pass early in the match and sprinted clear to mark his milestone appearance with a try under the posts.

The second came in the 80th minute as Johnny McNicholl tried to launch a Wales attack from his own half. His pass was intended for Josh Adams on the wing but it was Barrett who collected the ball and ran in from halfway to round off a comfortable 54-16 victory for the All Blacks.

Barrett, who made his All Blacks debut in 2012 and was part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, averages a try every three Tests – impressive statistics for a fly-half.

Alun Wyn Jones was also playing a landmark International – his 149th for Wales to take him beyond Richie McCaw’s 148 for New Zealand – but he was forced off midway through the first half.

The Wales captain looked to have suffered a similar injury to the dislocated shoulder he sustained in the British & Irish Lions match against Japan in June.

However, Wales coach Wayne Pivac suggested after the match that Jones could be fit to play South Africa next weekend. Pivac said: “He’s feeling pretty good. We’ll get a scan as a precaution but he’s not in discomfort.”

It’s not such good news for Ross Moriarty, who has suffered an AC joint injury and is likely a doubt for Wales’ other autumn Tests against the Springboks, Fiji and Australia. Moriarty was injured in a double tackle by Ethan Blackadder and Nepo Laulala shortly before the break that resulted in prop Laulala being sin-binned.

The All Blacks led 18-6 at half-time following a TJ Perenara try from close range and eight points from the boot of Jordie Barrett.

Will Jordan scored New Zealand’s third try with a brilliant piece of individual skill in the 54th minute. Taking a high ball, he broke past Will Rowlands and Josh Adams then chipped over Tomos Williams, collected his own kick and touched down.

Johnny Williams got one back for Wales a few minutes later, the centre first to reach Rhys Priestland’s grubber kick behind the All Blacks defensive line.

In the last quarter, though, it was all New Zealand. They got three tries in eight minutes – Dalton Papalii, Sevu Reece and Anton Lienert-Brown going over – and then it fittingly fell to Beauden Barrett to have the final say on the scoreboard.

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