Sam Warburton: 'Nobody gave Wales a chance... I didn’t think they would beat NZ'

Sam Warburton believes Wales can build on their historic win over New Zealand and use it to shrug off the memory of their recent record-breaking run of 18 consecutive Test defeats.

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain was in raptures watching his former side cling on for a 35-28 victory at the Principality Stadium, their first win over the All Blacks since 1953.

Steve Tandy’s men defended heroically in the second half to seal a triumph that sets them up for next weekend’s Nations Championship clash with Australia.

Warburton told ITV: “One thing that I think Steve Tandy has brought to this team, and one thing about all good Welsh teams we’ve had in the past, is that they’ve all been really tough, defiant, never given up at any cost.

“That was the perfect example of that. There was so much pressure it seemed inevitable New Zealand were going to score, but for those players to just not crack and get over the line, it’s what being Welsh is all about.

“It’s what great teams define themselves on and I hope this is the catalyst for this team for better things to come.”

First-half tries from Tomos Williams, Dewi Lake and Archie Griffin – all converted by Sam Costelow – put Wales in charge and, although New Zealand hit back to level at the interval, the hosts found a second wind at the start of the second half.

Converted tries from Eddie James and Louis Rees-Zammit put them back in the box seat before they repelled New Zealand’s increasingly desperate advances to secure one of the greatest wins in their history.

The atmosphere at full-time was a world away from the gloom that had greeted their run of defeats that finally ended with a win over Japan at the second attempt in Kobe last year.

Warburton added: “Nobody gave Wales a chance and I didn’t think they would beat New Zealand, but I sometimes think we forget what this playing group has gone through.

“They’ve gone from plummeting from being grand slam winners six or seven years ago, all the way to 12th in the rankings, a record losing streak of any tier one nation.

“They were right in the pits and they slowly crawled their way out and had one of the greatest wins of all time in Welsh history. It was a phenomenal effort and I am proud to be Welsh on a day like that.”