Event of the Day: Wales v New Zealand

Our event of the day 

is the rugby union clash between Wales and New Zealand at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. This is the third of four home tests for the Welsh side in the Autumn internationals. So far in the Under Armour Series this autumn, they’ve started with a 29-21 defeat to Australia and then managed to beat Georgia 13-6 last Saturday. Wales will finish the series next week against South Africa. It is the last match of the season for world champions New Zealand who are on a run of four victories after their defeat to Australia - beating the Barbarians, France (twice – the second was an uncapped XV match) and Scotland. Out of the 33 test matches Wales and New Zealand have contested, Wales have won just three; and those three victories came in the first four meetings, between 1905 and 1953. Since then, the All Blacks have recorded a stunning 29 successive triumphs.

Most recently, New Zealand won three test encounters against Wales in June 2016. Both sides are suffering from significant injury lists - the Welsh are deprived of the services of their captain Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams; whilst skipper Kieran Read and Dane Coles are some star names that miss out for the All Blacks. Despite the missing big names it should still be a great day of action accompanied beforehand by the famous Welsh anthem singing and the passionate New Zealand Haka.

 

Honourable mentions 

around the globe go to the big match from the English Premier League between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. Liverpool will be looking for a positive reaction after letting a three goal lead slip away to Sevilla in midweek. Chelsea secured their progress into the Champions League last-16 with a convincing 4-0 win over Qarabag. In other rugby union Autumn internationals, England host Samoa at Twickenham; Scotland play Australia at Murrayfield in Edinburgh; Ireland take on Argentina at Dublin’s  Aviva Stadium; while at the Stadio Euganeo in Padua, Italy face South Africa. Across Europe’s top football leagues, Rennes await Nantes at the Roazhon Park in French Ligue 1, there is the big derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 at the Signal Iduna Park in the German Bundesliga and Inter Milan travel to Cagliari’s Sardegna Arena in Serie A. It’s the third day of UBS Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, Hong Kong. In the 2017 Davis Cup final there is the doubles match between France and Belgium at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, with the sides level 1-1 after the first two singles matches. The pick of the day in the Aviva Premiership Rugby is the encounter between Bath and Harlequins at the Recreation Ground. In the NHL, 11 games are scheduled, among them is the duel of the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Duck at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In the Rugby League World Cup semi-final, England play Tonga at the Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland - the winner will play Australia in the final next weekend. Out of the 10 NBA games, the clash of the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks at the Toyota Center is the game of the day.

 

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

 

Fixture

 

Photos by Principality Stadium