BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | International | Charvis laments late lapse

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Wales captain Colin Charvis bemoaned his team's failings in the final quarter as they conceded four second-half tries in their 17-43 defeat against New Zealand.

It was a torrid battle out there

Doug Howlett

"Credit goes to New Zealand, they showed how to play the game for the whole 84 or 85 minutes," said Charvis, who won his 50th cap in the match.

"I think we'll take a lesson from it that world-class sides like New Zealand will punish you at the end of the game.

"We lost a bit of composure and got punished for that. New Zealand showed the whole strength of their squad."

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Wales coach Steve Hansen was pleased with the efforts of his team.

We've got 40 or 50 guys pressing for a position across the park

Andrew Mehrtens

"The players are disappointed because they knew they had a good shot," he said.

"At 22-17 we were right back in the game but the turning point came when we tried to play football in our own 22, they turned us over and scored.

"New Zealand will know that they have been in a game. We have come a long way and proved that we can be competitive against the top sides. Now we just have to keep this going when we get together for the Six Nations."

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Hansen refused to get embroiled in a row over New Zealand's opening try by wing Doug Howlett which video replays showed came from a forward pass.

"I would be happy if we scored from a forward pass, so we have to take it if it happens to us," said Hansen, whose side will face the All Blacks twice next year including in a World Cup pool match.

New Zealand scrum-half Steve Devine
New Zealand brought many of their back-up players on tour
New Zealand

Man-of-the-match was Howlett, whose try brace sealed Wales' fate.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy coming to Cardiff," said Howlett, touted in New Zealand as the best wing in the world.

"It was a torrid battle out there. Wales didn't let us play and they did it really well, they shut us down.

"We changed a few tactics at half time. Some of them worked, some of them didn't."

All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens felt that the result justified the decision to bring New Zealand's so-called second-string squad on tour.

"We came on the tour with guys with a lot of energy and a lot of confidence," he said.

"To be honest results have been hard to come by but still there's been a positive feeling in the group.

"It's nice to get the result tonight so we can have a good celebration. We've got an extended family now going towards next year.

"We've got 40 or 50 guys pressing for a position across the park."

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