A 15 minute flurry in the second half saw the All Blacks score four tries on the way to beating Wales 36-22 in their second test and clinching the three-match series at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tonight.
For 50 minutes the game remained highly competitive, with the score locked at 10-10 and the All Blacks on the back foot early in the second half.
Then the All Blacks lifted a gear and Wales imploded.
A Beauden Barrett break initiated the period, committing the defence and finding Ben Smith on the wing. He still had plenty of work to do to score in his 50th test.
When Aaron Smith found space in close and toed it ahead to put Wales back in their own 22 off the kickoff, there was a sense momentum had shifted.
Minutes later it was Barrett again taking the line on and reaching out to score after a dominant All Black scrum 5m out.
Further tries to Waisake Naholo, again after a dominant scrum, and Ardie Savea saw the All Blacks shoot out to an unassailable 36-10 lead.
Wales hit back twice late, but the game was well and truly over by that stage.
Yet for 50 minutes the All Blacks had to work very hard. On attack they lacked accuracy, trying to play a fast-paced game but often trying to do too much and turning ball over as they were met by a stout Wales defence.
It took them 19 minutes to finally breakthrough, as Israel Dagg beat his man on the outside after Aaron Smith committed several players and fired a wide cut out pass. Just moments earlier they had turned down a shot at goal to kick to the corner.
That gave them the lead, with Dan Biggar having gotten the scoring underway via a penalty. Aaron Cruden slotted a penalty to take the score to 10-3, before he was stretchered off two minutes later. He was taken to hospital for precautionary X-rays due to a possible neck injury.
Despite the lack of dominance on attack, the All Blacks defence had been strong. The line got up fast in the narrow channels and tackled aggressively, knocking the Wales' ball runners over behind the gain line.
But Wales' own defence had kept them in striking distance and when Barrett kicked the ball out on the full late in the first half, they took their chance, building well and putting Alun Wyn Jones in up the left wing.
Wales came out fighting after the break too, maintaining the upperhand for 10 minutes, before the All Blacks took over and the attacking threats became too much to handle.
New Zealand 36 (I. Dagg, B. Smith, B. Barrett, W. Naholo, A. Savea tries; A. Cruden con, pen; B. Barrett 2 cons) Wales 22 (A. Wyn Jones, L. Williams, J. Davies tries; D.Biggar 2 cons, pen). Halftime: 10-10.
