The painful waiting game continues for Wales after Graham Henry's All Blacks began their Grand Slam tour in stunning fashion with a 41-3 victory at a subdued Millennium Stadium.
Six Nations champions Wales slumped to an 18th successive defeat against New Zealand - a record loss against any opponent in Cardiff - as hopes of a first triumph since 1953 went up in smoke.
Lions tamer Dan Carter again sparked the pyrotechnics, kicking superbly and putting fizz into an All Blacks back division which resulted in wing Rico Gear scoring three tries.
Wales, in contrast, never got out first gear, as their eight-Test winning sequence came to a grinding halt.
The imperious Carter contributed 26 points - a record for the fixture - including New Zealand's final two tries, with Wales reduced to Stephen Jones' first-half penalty for their solitary scoring act.
Injuries might have affected Welsh preparations, but even their strongest line-up would have struggled to cope with the Tri-Nations champions on today's evidence.
Mike Ruddock's men spent of the most game tackling themselves to a standstill but Gear's 20-minute hat-trick undid all that stamina-sapping work as New Zealand sent ominous warning signals to remaining tour opponents Ireland, England and Scotland.
The All Blacks have not completed a successful Grand Slam mission to Great Britain and Ireland since Graham Mourie and company swept all before them 27 years ago, but on current form such an achievement is surely a formality.
And to complete a thoroughly miserable Cardiff return for Wales eight months after they clinched the Six Nations crown, captain Gareth Thomas and lock Brent Cockbain suffered second-half injuries, with 6ft 8in Cockbain being spectacularly up-ended by a reckless Anton Oliver tackle.
It is difficult to imagine New Zealand's traditional haka ever being upstaged, but the Welsh team and some 70,000 home supporters comfortably managed top billing by delivering a spine-tingling anthem.
The early exchanges proved error-strewn after such an intense build-up, but New Zealand made all the running, pinning Wales inside their own half and monopolising possession.
Wales struggled to cope with the All Blacks' aggressive defence, and they were repeatedly knocked back in tackle situations, with New Zealand looking to release the caged pace of Gear and his fellow wing Joe Rokocoko.
Carter booted 10th and 17th-minute penalties for a 6-0 lead, yet it would surely have been more had scrum-half Byron Kelleher not ignored an unmarked Tana Umaga by trying to go it alone from a quickly-taken penalty.
Wales responded by launching their first attack of the game, and they gained a satisfactory reward - Jones' opening penalty - after All Blacks centre Conrad Smith obstructed opposite number Ceri Sweeney during some impressive approach work from captain Gareth Thomas and wing Kevin Morgan.
But Wales' desperate finger-in-the-dam exercise could only last for so long, and New Zealand finally breached their defence 11 minutes before half-time.
The try's origins came from a Welsh lineout throw which went straight to All Blacks lock Chris Jack and before Wales could align themselves, Gear had galloped over wide out.
Carter effortlessly slotted the touchline conversion to make it 13-3 and any chance Wales had of fighting back was extinguished just three minutes after the restart when Carter appeared in space to free Gear, and his renowned finishing power once again did not disappoint.
Before Wales could draw breath, Gear - the top try-scorer in this year's Super 12 competition - struck again, completing his hat-trick after the combined efforts of Carter, Umaga, Rocokoko and full-back Mils Muliaina caused mayhem.
Carter's tries during the closing 12 minutes underlined a huge gulf in class, leaving Wales with a tough task to regroup ahead of tackling South Africa and Australia later this month.
