The day Wales thought might never come

One of the greatest Welsh wins of all time.

That is how former Wales captain Sam Warburton described the monumental result against New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday.

At the time of the kick-off, the All Blacks were effectively the top ranked side in the world following South Africa's loss to France to previous night.

So no-one gave Welsh a hope - even Warburton - with some bookmakers offering odds of 30/1 during the week.

The question, not of when but can, Wales beat the All Blacks again has beset Welsh rugby for 73 years.

That wait has been marred by cheating, national scandal and pure sporting drama.

Little wonder then that few wanted to leave the Principality Stadium long after the final whistle had sparked unprecedented scenes of utter joy - and relief - to the strains of Yma O Hyd.

That losing run - stretching across 34 matches - has hung like a millstone around the necks of generations of Wales players.

Warburton was part of the one of the most successful Welsh teams of all time during the Warren Gatland era - but lost all five meetings with New Zealand.

Even the legendary team of the 1970s fell short, although Sir Gareth Edwards was among the Principality Stadium crowd on Saturday to see history made.

How many more will claim in years to come they were there as well?

Warburton said: "When you think what the fans and this team has been through, from the highs of a Grand Slam seven years ago, down to 12th in the world rankings and a record losing run of any tier one nation, we've been down in the pits."

"No one gave Wales a chance, that's why this is one of the greatest Welsh wins of all time."

"Yes, New Zealand had made changes but that was one of the most heroic defensive performances I have ever seen."

Dan Biggar, sat alongside Warburton for host broadcaster ITV, put the result into wider perspective.

"This is not a day for analysis, it's just to celebrate being Welsh," he said.

"That was probably the biggest shock in world rugby since Japan beat South Africa in the 2015 World Cup."

Wales had only come close on a handful of occasions with one-point defeats in 1978, when New Zealand lock Andy Haden infamously dived out of a lineout to gain a match-winning penalty, and then in 2004.

Wales even turned to four New Zealand coaches in Sir Graham Henry, Steve Hansen, Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac to help break the hoodoo, but none of the quartet could inspire a Test victory over the land of their birth.

So there will be added satisfaction that it was a Welshman who masterminded the long-awaited win.

The Wales team of Steve Tandy may not have the household names of teams gone by, nor the winning pedigree, but they had courage when it mattered.

Three times they held up black shirts over the try line during a second-half defensive efforts that at times beggared belief.

Initial statistics had second-row Dafydd Jenkins equalling Thierry Dusautoir's world record of 38 tackles in a single match, also against New Zealand, in 2007.

Jac Morgan and man of the match James Botham also topped 30 tackles with centre Eddie James and captain Dewi Lake not far behind.

It earned high praise from former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick.

A winner in all six meetings with Wales, the ex-hooker has ties to that day seven decades ago when his father Brian made his New Zealand debut.

Observers say he was unlucky not to be awarded a try after he was adjudged to have been tackled just short of the line. How different history might have been.

"New Zealand played well in patches and terrible in others but this is all about Wales," said Fitzpatrick, now a board member of Welsh region Scarlets.

"They way they started the game and took their tries showed the amazing belief they had. But the defensive effort was out of this world."