Wales captain Dewi Lake almost lost for words following momentus victory over All Blacks

The triumph was a momentous result for the home side as it was their first win over New Zealand since 1953 and, in doing so, they ended a 34-match losing streak against the men in black.

Wales were full value for Saturday's triumph at the Principality Stadium as they outscored their opponents by five tries to four and the home side held a 14-point lead on three separate occasions.

Despite their brilliance on attack, Wales' defence deserves a special mention as Tandyâ˜s charges put their body on the line for the full 80 minutes with Dafydd Jenkins leading the way with a whopping 33 tackles made, while James Botham, who was the official player of the match, and Jac Morgan were not far behind as they made 30 and 29 hits respectively.

Wales captain Dewi Lake was one of his team's heroes as he delivered an excellent 60-minute performance as he led his troops well and scored one of their tries.

The 27-year-old hooker said the historic victory over the All Blacks was just reward for all the efforts put in by Wales' players ahead of the match and singled out their defensive efforts for special praise.

"To put on the field what we did today, to make history, is tough to put into words, but it is nothing this group doesn't deserve for the work they have put in," he explained.

"Sometimes we sit in front of the media and say we can beat them, and it is probably a passing comment for some people at home, but it's not for us. You wouldn't believe the work that goes on for this group to go out and succeed.

"The boys dug in hard, a lot of defensive sets, three or four hold-ups over the line. I think I stopped watching with one minute, 20 seconds left and just waited for the whistle! It is an amazing feeling."

Meanwhile, head coach Steve Tandy was full of praise for his players when addressing the media after the match.

"I feel pride for the players, and to see what it means to the supporters," he told reporters. "We have been wanting some positivity, and I think the players delivered that today.

"We knew it was going to be brutal on both sides of the ball, and I thought the intent from minute one was exceptional.

"You always have belief. They are a special group of people, and there will be lots of bumps along the road, but the boys can be super-proud today."

Despite being delighted with the result, Tandy is determined for his team not to rest on their laurels and wants them to continue with their fine form when they host the Wallabies next weekend.

"The players were phenomenal. New Zealand threw everything at us, and it is just an amazing feeling. We have got to savour moments like this.

â˜We have got to keep going and building performances'"This is a real good statement win for us, and we have got to enjoy it, but we have got to keep going and building performances," he added.

"We have got a massive game against Australia next week."

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