That courageous score cut the deficit in the Bronz inal at Eden Park to a mere three poitns as Australia ran out 21-18 winners. It meant Wales’ tournament record ended with four wins and three defeats, but there were only five points between Wales and the three teams that beat them.
The precision that was evident in the Welsh performances that took them to the semi-finals was missing and there were more missed kicks at goal to add to that.
But there is no doubt this World Cup campaign has been a major triumph for Warren Gatland and his squad and all the players will return with their heads held high. The 16,246 fans at the Millennium Stadium roared their approval of the performance and the team can expect a rapturous reception when they return next week.
The Bronze Final was a repeat of the 1987 third place play-off game in which a last gasp try from Adrian Hadley, superbly converted off the touchline in Rotorua by Paul Thorburn, earned Wales a 22-21 win.
Warren Gatland’s side were playing to try to match that best-ever Welsh performance at the global tournament, as well as the incentive of moving up to fourth in the IRB World Rankings.
Nathan Sharpe led the two teams out at Eden Park on the day he celebrated winning his 100th cap, while the Dragons’ 20-year-old Toby Faletau was setting a Welsh record with seven successive appearances at a World Cup.
Faletau took over the No 7 jersey from Sam Warburton and inspired Wales to five turn overs in the opening half. However, there were nine handling errors in that same period as Wales failed to show the same discipline, control and fluency as in their previous matches.
All the early momentum was with the Wallabies and it was no surprise when their pressure was turned into points through a try by centre Berrick Barnes which was converted by James O’Connor.
James Hook responded 10 minutes later with a simple penalty after Wales were given a penalty at scrum time and Leigh Halfpenny had the chance to cut the gap to a single point just before the break with a long range shot. His kick drifted just wide, but there were more encouraging signs for Wales as the game wore on.
The Wallabies lost both Kirtley Beale and the influential Cooper to injuries in the first half, while George North had to go off to have a nasty gash in his head before returning.
The Australian defence managed to keep Wales at bay for long periods, but Mike Phillips finally found a way to knock a hole in the brick wall with a neat grub kick through which Hook regathered over half-way.
Hook’s pass out of the tackle to Shane Williams on the left wing looked to be slightly forward, but English referee Wayne Barnes waved play on and, even though the ball went to the winger’s feet, Williams kicked ahead twice and regained possession to score his 59th Test try to give Wales the lead for the first time.
In was short-lived, though, as two successive penalties from O’Conner restored the Wallabies’ advantage before a Barnes drop goal made it 16-8. Stephen Jones, who replaced Hook at outside half, put the game back into the melting pot with his 70th minute penalty, but that unbreachable Aussie defensive line was proving the rock on which Wales were perishing.
A magnificent tackle by North stopped Adam Ashley-Cooper from wrapping the game up for the Wallabies as he knocked the ball out of his grasp as the Australian centre was crossing the line, but there was no stopping Ben McCalman a few minutes later when he crossed with five minutes left on the clock.
But this Welsh team never knows when it is beaten and there was one final fling which ended with a well received try by Halfpenny in the 83rd minute. Jones converted and the gap was cut to an agonizing three points.
With eight points going begging from the boot – there were 11 points missed in the semi-final defeat by France the previous week – Wales were partly the masters of their own downfall.
