Wales and New Zealand clash in Nations Championship in Cardiff

Wales face a daunting task against New Zealand in the Nations Championship today as Steve Tandy's side look to build on a scrappy victory over Japan according to The Standard.

The fixture takes place on Saturday, 14 November 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 2.10pm GMT at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Wales enter the contest sitting fifth in the six-team Northern Hemisphere pool after securing two wins and two losses from their opening four matches. Preparations were further disrupted by a key injury setback when number eight Aaron Wainwright was ruled out with a calf issue, opening the door for Taine Basham to start in the back row alongside James Botham and Jac Morgan.

Media additions

Wales have made four changes from the side that faced Japan. Winger Gabriel Hamer-Webb replaces Josh Adams—who scored twice last weekend but is being rested—to win his second cap, joining a back three featuring Louis Rees-Zammit and New Zealand-born Blair Murray. Sam Costelow and Tomos Williams continue at half-back, Max Llewellyn and Eddie James partner in midfield, and Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard pack down in the second row. Captain Dewi Lake starts at hooker between props Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin.

New Zealand arrive in the Welsh capital having won all four of their fixtures to date, including a comfortable 43-21 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield that extended their 121-year undefeated run against the Scots. Head coach Dave Rennie has made eight changes to his side, handing Beauden Barrett the captaincy for the first time against Wales. Barrett will earn his 149th Test cap, extending his record as world rugby's most-capped back, while Richie Mo'unga returns from a calf injury to partner Cortez Ratima at half-back. The All Blacks are level on points with South Africa in the Southern Hemisphere group, sitting second only on points difference, though they can seize an outright lead after the Springboks fell 21-19 to France in Paris.

Nations Championship Weekend Fixtures

The wider tournament schedule also sees a pivotal clash in Genoa between Italy and Argentina, where both sides seek a response to heavy defeats last weekend as reported by TechRadar and Rugby World. Italy suffered a 66-7 thrashing against South Africa in Turin while dealing with an extensive injury list that kept out captain Michele Lamaro and centres Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex. Argentina similarly dropped a 42-12 result to Ireland in Dublin.

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has made five changes to his starting XV, bringing in Tommaso Allan at full-back, Stephen Varney at scrum-half, Danilo Fischetti at prop, and Ross Vintcent and Manuel Zuliani in the loose forwards. Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi has also rotated five personnel, selecting Rodrigo Isgro, Simón Benítez Cruz, Bautista Bernasconi, Joaquin Moro, and Juan Martin Scelzo, while captain Julian Montoya misses out due to HIA protocols.

For Wales, history casts a long shadow over the afternoon, as the team has not recorded a victory over the All Blacks since 1953. Following last year's 52-26 defeat in Cardiff, Tandy's squad will rely on improved set-piece accuracy to stay competitive against an opponent renowned for pace and power.

Television coverage in the UK is broadcast live and free-to-air on ITV and S4C, with ITV1 starting its coverage at 1.40pm GMT following the conclusion of the Genoa fixture, while S4C begins at 1.30pm. Online streaming is available via the ITVX website and app for registered users. In international viewing regions, fans can tune in through platforms such as RugbyPass TV in the United States, Virgin Media Play in Ireland, Sky Sport Now in New Zealand, SuperSport in South Africa, and Stan Sport in Australia, with several broadcasters offering options for viewers utilizing VPN services.