New Zealand retained their 56-year unbeaten run against Wales when the All Blacks scored a deserved 19-12 victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday - scoring the only try.

This took their run of consecutive wins over Wales to 21.

With Dan Carter again directing the show, the Kiwis raced into a 19-6 lead, before two late Stephen Jones penalties gave the home team's scoreline some respectability.

"Dan's going to be one of those key influential figures, as he's always been in world rugby, on Saturday afternoon," said Welsh assistant coach Rob Howley in the build-up to the game and he was spot-on in his prediction.

Again, as so often before, it was Daniel Carter around whom the All Blacks' game revolved, not only around his accurate boot but also his superb skills and judicious decision-making.

Wales could not be faulted for valiant effort but in the end New Zealand won more comfortably than the final score indicates.

They succeeded in putting pressure on the All Blacks in the first half and again at the end of the second half, but when the All Blacks upped the pace of their attack the result appeared inevitable.

That New Zealand scored only one try is a tribute to Welsh courage and determination in defending their tryline so resolutely, especially in the second half.

Wales had the opportunity to open the scoring after seven minutes when Kieran Read was penalised for falling over the ball in a ruck, but Leigh Halfpenny's long-range goal-kick lacked direction and distance.

In the 11th minute Halfpenny was penalised for failing to release the ball in a tackle and Dan Carter opened the scoring for New Zealand with a penalty goal from 42 metres out and straight in front. Wales equalised after 17 minutes when Richie McCaw was penalised for playing the ball off his feet and Stephen Jones goaled an angled penalty (3-3).

In the 21st minute a superbly executed Carter attacking grubber through a half-gap led to desperate Welsh defence at a ruck just short of the their tryline. Brendon Leonard was adjudged by TMO Graham Hughes to have knocked-on as he attempted to ground the ball, but Carter put the visitors 6-3 ahead when he goaled a close-range penalty from the advantage being played to the All Blacks.

In the 34th minute Wyatt Crockett and Conrad Smith were penalised for not rolling away and Jones goaled a second angled penalty for Wales to tie the score at 6-6.

The first half had been characterised by the enthusiastic spirit and commitment with which Wales played. Clearly they had taken seriously coach Warren Gatland's conviction that New Zealand had lost their aura of invincibility. His players tried valiantly to take his advice to "shake off the mental block when playing against New Zealand" but their passion wasn't sufficient to engineer a try.

The All Blacks had been forced to make over 60 tackles while the Welsh had made fewer than 30 but the only serious threat on either goal-line had been when Leonard came close.

In the second half roles would be somewhat reversed with the hosts making over 60 tackles and the visitors fewer than 30.

With Wales under pressure in their 22 a deliberate knock-on by Martyn Williams saw Carter goal from close to touch to put the All Blacks 9-6 ahead three minutes into the second half.

The visitors played the game at greater pace after half-time and in the 56th minute, after quick ruck ball, a blindside raid saw Wyatt Crockett make good ground and then Zac Guildford do well to stay on his feet and retain possession. When Guildford was tackled close to the tryline Andrew Hore powered over. Carter goaled from the touchline again to secure a decisive 16-6 lead.

With the All Blacks exerting enormous pressure the TMO was consulted twice in quick succession to adjudicate on possible All Black tries but he ruled that first Conrad Smith and then Kieran Read had been held up over the line.

Carter goaled a penalty in the 65th minute for the All Blacks to lead 19-6 before Jones replied with penalties for Wales in the  67th and 75th minutes to reduce the lead to 19-12.

Much of the second half pressure had been coming from concerted All Black attacks but breakaway runs by quick, skilful Shane Williams and then an interception by Alun-Wyn Jones turned the momentum, and for a period of play late in the half it was the Welsh who had the visitors' defence scurrying.

A dangerous tackle by Carter on replacement Martin Roberts invoked the wrath of the crowd but both players were moving at pace and it certainly appeared entirely unintentional.

While not as fluent a performance as they may have hoped for, the All Blacks did enough to leave the Millennium Stadium reasonably happy. The jury is still out on whether they are the right track with the revised coaching duties of Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen – it is simply too early to assess this.

After their ongoing troubles in the Tri-Nations, the All Blacks will have been especially happy with their winning every line-out on their own throw-in.

For Wales skipper Ryan Jones led from the front in a brave performance of grit and passion and Stephen Jones was as skilful as ever. The team as a whole will have taken courage from the pressure they were able to exert but disappointed that they were unable to turn that pressure into points.

Man of the Match: For consummate class on a rugby field few players match Dan Carter and again in this Test he was the major factor in the All Black performance.

Moment of the Match: It must be Andrew Hore's try, but the sight of lock Alun-Wyn Jones racing downfield towards the New Zealand tryline pursued by a host of All Black defenders will remain long in the memory.

Villain: Nobody in this match.

The scorers:

For Wales:
Pens: S Jones 4

For New Zealand:
Try: Hore
Con: Carter
Pens: Carter 4

Teams:

Wales: 15 James Hook, 14 Leigh Halfpenny, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Gareth Cooper, 8 Ryan Jones (captain), 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Andy Powell, 5 Luke Charteris, 4 Alun-Wyn Jones, 3 Paul James, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Gethin Jenkins
Replacements: 16 Huw Bennett, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Bradley Davies, 19 Dafydd Jones, 20 Martin Roberts, 21 Jonathan Davies, 21 Tom James

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Ben Smith.

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Stuart Terheege (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)

365

Bok player ratings We rate the Springbok players' performance in the 22-17 loss to the Leicester Tigers.

Ted slams Safa Ted Dumitru uncovers the problems facing coaching in SA and Safa's lack of vision.

iafrica.com head-to-head Rob Peters and Tim Human go head-to-head on the Australia-England Test this weekend.