Sun 9 Nov 2014 | 12:05
Australia edge Wales in another agonising defeat for home fans

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Australia edged Wales 33-28 in another tight encounter between the two sides, but it was the tenth successive time the Wallabies came up trumps. The home side started well and the first half was even, but Australia held their nerve late in the game.

The result extended Wales' losing streak against the big southern hemisphere sides to twenty one, even though this wasn't the first time that the scores were close. It was the ninth successive time that the winning margin was in the single digits. 

In the first half both sides scored three converted tries, taking them into the break at 21-21.

The second half was less eventful as Wales' picked up a converted penalty try, while Australia's Bernard Foley kicked three penalties and a well taken drop goal for a personal tally of 18 points.

Despite Wales losing 25 of their last 26 matches against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, coach Warren Gatland remained upbeat.

"We've scored four tries to three and I thought we went out there and played some really positive rugby," he said. "To be honest I'm pretty positive about the performance.

Wales play Fiji next, then New Zealand and South Africa. Australia travel to Paris to take on France, followed by Tests against England and Ireland in the following weeks.

"There's plenty to improve on, we're not claiming that we had a cracker," said new Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, who joined the squad just days before flying to the UK.

"We've had just two weeks of getting our heads together and playing a new system, the guys getting into that, defensively as well, not just attack. What we're hoping is that on this trip we can build that while at the same time playing good enough rugby to grab a win here and there."

What were your thoughts on the game and the result? Let us know in the comments

View the Welsh camps reaction to the loss below. View official highlights from the match here (UK only), and on page two, short highlights from the WRU (no commentary).

6 Comments

  • drg
    2:30 PM 10/11/2014

    ...Halfpenny played and was alright wasn't he? Didn't see him go off?

  • alasdairduncan3
    8:43 AM 10/11/2014

    Threw away a chance of the win when they played away that penalty advantage near the end. They played well again, need to sure up the defense though, a couple of those aussie tries should never have happened.

  • pipo
    12:14 AM 10/11/2014

    Halfpenny got injured again? : (

  • mastersa
    8:11 PM 09/11/2014

    Close game. Might have been different without the sloppy intercept try. Wales have the talent, speed, bulk, with the exception of a decent 10 and tactics (Gatland). If the latter two were sorted prior to WC, I think they could be contender.

  • drg
    4:52 PM 09/11/2014

    Quite interesting actually. I've found that the last few welsh games Warbs has been invisible and Lydiate has been brilliant, definitely agree with you this time regarding them both. Lydiate I think made 1 decent tackle that got notification. Warburton on the other hand seemed to be all around.

    Definitely agree with you about Gatland.. I mean the Welsh did well to keep it close and nearly get the win, but I find there is too much hanging on the whole Lions tour thing. Selections (dodgy imo) aside, the Lions tour is now a fair way away, the teams are different, players are different, maturity, style, leadership etc.. not to mention how Australia has also evolved. One cannot keep hanging onto that Lions win as if it'll mean 'we should win the next Aus game'.. I think Gatland is probably good for Wales, but I think he's going to have to get them to pull some results out the bag soon.

  • welshosprey
    4:26 PM 09/11/2014

    I really wonder how much longer Gatland can keep saying he's proud of a positive performance even though we lost. Australia beat us and they didn't even play that well.
    Lydiate was useless and completely invisible for most of the game whereas Warburton played his best game for months. Hoping he starts Tipuric & Warburton for the other games.