ALL BLACKS SET FOR WALES TEST

WALES look set to play New Zealand in October, with the All Blacks adding a trip to Cardiff to their autumn itinerary.

There have been whispers doing the rounds over recent weeks about the Welsh Rugby Union arranging a fixture against the Kiwis.

And now the story has emerged in New Zealand.

The Herald report a deal between the two countries is close to being finalised for what would be a potentially moneyspinning Test on Saturday, October 30.

That date would sit outside the World Rugby international window, meaning Six Nations champions Wales would be without their English-based players.

It remains to be seen what sort of crowd will be allowed into the Principality Stadium by October, with such things very much dependent on the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic at the time.

A series of trial events are being held over the coming weeks and months, with the hope being a permanent return of spectators at sporting events follows.

However many fans are allowed into the stadium for the game, one thing is for certain, tickets will be like gold-dust.

It’s four years since Wales last played the All Blacks in Cardiff and fans will be all the more determined to see the game having been starved of live rugby for so long.

It would also be an opportunity for Wayne Pivac’s Six Nations title winners to measure themselves against one of the best teams in the world.

Wales were due to travel to New Zealand last summer for a three-Test series, while a planned autumn clash also had to be ditched. The full 2021 autumn schedule for Pivac’s team is yet to be confirmed amid the ongoing uncertainty, but the WRU will be keen to play as many matches as possible as they look to address the huge financial shortfall caused by Covid.

Wales last played New Zealand in the World Cup third-place play-off at the Tokyo Stadium in November 2019.

Famously, they have not beaten the All Blacks since 1953.

The Herald also reports there are proposals for New Zealand to play the USA on October 23, potentially at the new 70,000-seat Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

With a trip to Wales as well the following week, that would see them facing a really hectic autumn schedule as they already have Tests arranged against France in Paris, Italy in Rome, and Ireland in Dublin.