24 Jun 2016

Can Wales improve any more?

11:23 am on 24 June 2016

Wales gets one last crack at the All Blacks in Dunedin this weekend and, like most teams that come up against the New Zealanders, they're hoping to improve on their last effort.

Warren Gatland who took Wales to the quarter finals of the recent World Cup.

Wales coach Warren Gatland Photo: Photosport

Wales peformed well for most of the first two Tests; ahead at half time in the Eden Park game and level at the break in the Wellington match.

However, in what has become a hallmark, the All Blacks improve in the second half and in a short space of time can put a team away.

Wales coach Warren Gatland said them this Saturday in Dunedin is to stay in the game for longer periods.

"You know we've just seemed to switch off for five or ten minutes and that has proved hugely costly for us so we've just got to make sure that we are accurate for that whole period.

"The players have been pretty honest in themselves and identified where we've let ourselves down in terms of making some mistakes and for us we think they are pretty easily rectified."

Gatland made two changes to his side for the Dunedin Test with Rob Evans replacing the injured Gethin Jenkins at loose-head prop and Tomas Francis, who has come off the bench in both the first two test matches starting at tight-head. Samson Lee takes his spot among the replacements.

Gatland is pleased in the improvement in the stats from the last time they played the All Blacks in 2014.

"We've just got to turn those numbers into pressure and stop shooting ourselves in the foot by making some of those costly errors.

"We feel like we're stressing the All Blacks at times with some positive rugby and putting them under pressure and so we have to make sure we continue to do that.

"If you look at the tries we conceded last week, are they fixable? Yes they are."

Gatland says they may copy the All Blacks and make their substitutions a little earlier in the game.

The All Blacks have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, so Gatland's side is now looking to avoid a whitewash.

The tourists began the three-Test series with a 39-21 defeat at Eden Park, before a 36-22 loss in Wellington last weekend.

Wales have lost 28 consecutive matches against the World Cup winners. Their last win was in 1953.

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