Hosea Gear scored two tries and Dan Carter became Test rugby's leading all-time points scorer as New Zealand completed another grand slam with a 37-25 win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Victory gave the All Blacks their third clean sweep of the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales) in five years and was their fourth in all after previous slams in 1978, 2005 and 2008.

This latest success also meant the Tri-Nations champions ended 2010 having lost just once in 14 games - 26-24 to Australia in Hong Kong in October - and cemented hosts New Zealand's status as favourites to win the 2011 World Cup.

Victory also extended their winning run over Wales to 24 consecutive matches since a 13-8 loss back in 1953.

But they were pressed hard for much of the match as Wales delivered arguably their best performance of the November campaign in a match where home fly-half Stephen Jones kicked six penalties and converted full-back Lee Byrne scored a last-minute try.

That was little consolation though as defeat meant Wales had gone seven games without a win following this month's losses to Australia and world champions South Africa and a shock draw with Fiji.

Wales were back in the match at 13-12 behind early in the second half and with New Zealand a man down after replacement forward Daniel Braid had been yellow-carded.

But barely a minute later the All Blacks had their third try, and wing Gear his second, after Wales had made the mistake of missing touch from a penalty.

Gear squeezed in at the corner and fly-half Carter landed his most difficult kick of the match to put the All Blacks two scores ahead at 20-12.

Carter kicked another penalty but two more from Stephen Jones cut New Zealand's advantage to 23-18 with 12 minutes left.

But, yet again New Zealand responded to the threat, with a try.

James Hook miskicked under pressure and replacement forward Anthony Boric broke clear before sending in wing Isaia Toeava seven minutes from time.

And there was still time left for John Afoa, another replacement, to cross Wales's line.

New Zealand were only 13-9 up at the break, despite scoring two tries, after Carter had missed four times from five goalkicks.

Wales opened the scoring in the first minute when Jones kicked a 35-metre penalty.

But four minutes later the All Blacks were in front.

Centre Sonny Bill Williams drew in several Welshmen before finding Toeava, who punished yet more slack defending before passing to Gear, who scored in the corner.

Carter missed the difficult conversion but made history by breaking Jonny Wilkinson's previous world record of 1,176 points with an eighth-minute penalty from just inside halfway.

New Zealand crossed for their second try in the 21st minute after Welsh halfback Mike Phillips's aimless kick was run back by Carter, who worked a scissors move with Mils Muliaina.

Back-rows Dan Lydiate and Ryan Jones then both missed tackles as full-back Muliaina sprinted in for a try from halfway.

Carter managed to land another penalty from halfway to make the score 13-3 but two further Jones penalties, the second after New Zealand's vulnerable scrum collapsed, cut the deficit to four points.

A minute's silence was held before kick-off, with New Zealand wearing white armbands on their black match shirts, as a mark of respect to the 29 miners who lost their lives in the recent Pike River colliery tragedy on the west coast of New Zealand.

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