Wales' SANZAR results: 2008-2014

[Draggs]

Here is a list of the 27 matches Wales have played against Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa while coached by Warren Gatland.
I have included halftime and fulltime scores, as well as the biggest lead Wales achieved during the match (time it was achieved in parenthesis) and last time lead was held (If a South African try took the lead for them at 27', the time I listed was 26').[TABLE="class: grid, width: 650"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Date[/TD]
[TD]Opponent[/TD]
[TD]Halftime[/TD]
[TD]Fulltime[/TD]
[TD]Result[/TD]
[TD]Largest lead[/TD]
[TD]Last lead[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]7 Jun 08[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]10-22[/TD]
[TD]17-43[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]14 Jun 08[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]15-17[/TD]
[TD]21-37[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]1 (32')[/TD]
[TD]39'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]8 Nov 08[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]3-13[/TD]
[TD]15-20[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]22 Nov 08[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]9-6[/TD]
[TD]9-29[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]6 (13', 23')[/TD]
[TD]41'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]29 Nov 08[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]15-10[/TD]
[TD]21-18[/TD]
[TD]Win[/TD]
[TD]8 (78')[/TD]
[TD]Fulltime[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]7 Nov 09[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]6-6[/TD]
[TD]12-19[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (11' 20)'[/TD]
[TD]33'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]28 Nov 09[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]12-23[/TD]
[TD]12-33[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]5 Jun 10[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]16-14[/TD]
[TD]31-34[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]13 (21')[/TD]
[TD]41'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]19 Jun 10[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]9-15[/TD]
[TD]9-42[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]6 (15')[/TD]
[TD]19'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]26 Jun 10[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]3-10[/TD]
[TD]10-29[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (3')[/TD]
[TD]13'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]6 Nov 10[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]6-7[/TD]
[TD]16-25[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (1')[/TD]
[TD]5'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]13 Nov 10[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]17-9[/TD]
[TD]25-29[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]11 (17', 27', 42')[/TD]
[TD]52'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]27 Nov 10[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]9-13[/TD]
[TD]25-37[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (1')[/TD]
[TD]3'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]11 Sep 11[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]6-10[/TD]
[TD]16-17[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]6 (54')[/TD]
[TD]64'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]21 Oct 11[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]3-7[/TD]
[TD]18-21[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]1 (49')[/TD]
[TD]52'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]3 Dec 11[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]6-3[/TD]
[TD]18-24[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]6 (33')[/TD]
[TD]50'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9 Jun 12[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]3-10[/TD]
[TD]19-21[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]16 Jun 12[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]7-13[/TD]
[TD]23-25[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]7 (3')[/TD]
[TD]81'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]23 Jun 12[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]8-12[/TD]
[TD]19-20[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]4 (61')[/TD]
[TD]73'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]24 Nov 12[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]0-23[/TD]
[TD]10-33[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[TD]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]1 Dec 12[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]6-9[/TD]
[TD]12-14[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (23', 60')[/TD]
[TD]78'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9 Nov 13[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]12-17[/TD]
[TD]15-24[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (2')[/TD]
[TD]3'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]30 Nov 13[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]16-17[/TD]
[TD]26-30[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]10 (11')[/TD]
[TD]35'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]14 Jun 14[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]9-28[/TD]
[TD]16-38[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (2')[/TD]
[TD]5'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]21 Jun 14[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]17-14[/TD]
[TD]30-31[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]17 (22')[/TD]
[TD]76'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]8 Nov 14[/TD]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]21-21[/TD]
[TD]28-33[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]7 (4')[/TD]
[TD]65'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]22 Nov 14[/TD]
[TD]New Zealand[/TD]
[TD]3-3[/TD]
[TD]16-34[/TD]
[TD]Loss[/TD]
[TD]3 (51')[/TD]
[TD]68'[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]29 Nov 14[/TD]
[TD]South Africa[/TD]
[TD]3-3[/TD]
[TD]12-6[/TD]
[TD]Win[/TD]
[TD]6 (56'[/TD]
[TD]Fulltime[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

For clarity, I have bolded the matches during which Wales had some second half lead. Can't colour code the grid.

 

[Jaguares]

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

That's pretty bleak reading. Have they played Argentina much in this time frame?

Just to clarify, the biggest lead/last lead counts if Wales are drawing too? E.g. in the last match it was 3-all for a long time - NZ took the lead in the 51st minute but prior to that point it's not like Wales were leading.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Dat 08 win

 

[Draggs]

OK, just to put this out there, if anybody plans on just doing the 'choker/Wales sucks' line, or some other snarky post don't bother, they will be removed for being off-topic.
Let's have some actual discussion on this.

@TRF Mr Fish, the lead is the first time Wales took the lead. Say they went 6-3 up at 23' and then it went 6-6 at 34', it is recorded at 23'.
The 'last lead' is the minute before the opposition scored (Say Wales lead 3-0 and then the opposition score to make it 3-5 at 17', it is recorded at 16').

They have played Argentina four times, winning three of the matches. (33-16 in 2009; 28-13 in 2011; 12-26 in 2013; 40-6 in 2013)

Very interesting article here: Guardian

History, as it invariably does when silver fern meets shamrock, will record an All Black win but not the cacophonous excitement, the vaulting Irish hope when they led 21-7 early in the second half nor the ruthless brilliance of the visitors' response.

Had the referee Andre Watson sin-binned Norm Maxwell for ambling back from an offside position to block Peter Stringer's potential scoring pass to Foley in the right corner, a rousing afternoon might just have developed into a historic one; instead New Zealand scored 33 points in 30 minutes between the 44th and 74th minutes to hush the cockle-warming strains of The Fields of Athenry.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

OK, just to put this out there, if anybody plans on just doing the 'choker/Wales sucks' line, or some other snarky post don't bother, they will be removed for being off-topic.
Let's have some actual discussion on this.

@TRF Mr Fish, the lead is the first time Wales took the lead. Say they went 6-3 up at 23' and then it went 6-6 at 34', it is recorded at 23'.
The 'last lead' is the minute before the opposition scored (Say Wales lead 3-0 and then the opposition score to make it 3-5 at 17', it is recorded at 16').

They have played Argentina four times, winning three of the matches. (33-16 in 2009; 28-13 in 2011; 12-26 in 2013; 40-6 in 2013)

Very interesting article here: Guardian

Ah very good, understood. Given that Wales were ahead 3-0 for the 6 minute to the 22 minute mark that 3 point advantage should also be included in the 'biggest lead' column? Complete semantics, I know, but it's the only match I remember

 

[Draggs]

What match are you referring to?
Look at 13 Nov 10. Wales earned an 11 point lead at 17', 27', 42'. This means that any point between those those times, the lead could go down any amount (Wales could even be losing by say 10 points at 38 minutes) but they once again got an 11 point lead at 42'. Once again, the score could go any way, Wales could go down by 5 after 42', but at 52' minutes they did hold a lead, before losing it at 54'. (SA scored at 54', so Wales last lead at 53')

The obvious limitation is that even if Wales on led early on, if at all, it doesn't indicate of they kept it close all game. Such an example being 30 Nov 13, where Wales never lead after the first half, but it was relatively close all game.

 

[Shaggy]

I think Fish ... Sorry ... Mr Fish (TRF) with the power to ban me , was referring to the last match between NZ and Wales.

I still don't think it's all doom and gloom with Wales ... They are close to where they need to be ... It's all about peaking at the right moment

 

[smartcooky]

Very interesting article here: Guardian

Interesting because Warren Gatland was the Ireland coach at that time?

 

[Draggs]

Interesting because Warren Gatland was the Ireland coach at that time?

Yes, funny how all you have to do is update the date and score and it still rings true. I'm sure this could be done for a multitude of teams/coaches, but an interesting read.
Gatland beat a strong England side a few weeks prior, and his contract was not renewed following the NZ match.
@Shaggy, ah my mistake, overlooked that one. Fixed!

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I think Fish ... Sorry ... Mr Fish (TRF) with the power to ban me , was referring to the last match between NZ and Wales.

I still don't think it's all doom and gloom with Wales ... They are close to where they need to be ... It's all about peaking at the right moment

That's the one!

Also I agree. Wales should have been in the last World Cup final, all you need is a few good games in a row (or a favourable draw) and you can do pretty well for yourself.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think it's this year's last three games where you played SA, Aus and NZ and all three were leads at late stages (76', 65' & 68') that really brings the 'issue' into sharp focus.

That said, this weekend's game is gonna be a tough one and the history book/trends do not really make my nerves any more calm.

 

[Big Ewis]

very interesting, well made document a user took the time to compose for us. Plus one.
Their run against SANZAR nations since 2008 has been nothing short of surrealistic. Simply. Near unbelievable. Just take a look at some of those results:

31-34
25-29
16-17
18-21
19-21
23-25
19-20
12-14
26-30
30-31

All happening at close chronological intervals, and all part of a losing streak (wouldn't be as dramatic if there'd been some close wins amongst those results for e.g.). Just..fairytale like, just like those stories of a people that is held oppressed by a curse or something, and at the end their curse is lifted and they can blossom into what they were meant to all along. The fact that it's been a continuous streak, again, had there been a couple of wins in between, it would still be highly notable to come this close in each one of those meetings, but it wouldn't make it nearly as unique and just unbelievable as it has been.

Going to watch the game later on today, it sucks knowing beforehand there were no tries <_< but it's just a must-watch.

An interesting thing now will be to see if Wales can beat Australia (or SA again) over the next, say, 3 or 4 meetings with each. Perhaps this really *has* lifted a certain shroud that'd been dragging them down, in the scope of their whole contingent's psyche, some veteran guys in particular who had been through the whole ordeal.