Warren Gatland’s men outscored the first of four southern hemisphere opponents by four tries to three at the Millennium Stadium but were ultimately underdone by the boot of man-of-the-match Bernard Foley.
Rhys Webb, Alex Cuthbert and Alun Wyn Jones all scored for Wales in a first half that ended 21 points apiece, before a penalty try gave them the narrowest of leads with 15 minutes left to play. But Foley landed a late drop goal and an even later penalty to ensure Wales were made to wait for victory over the Wallabies once again.
The finish may have been a frustrating one but Wales enjoyed the perfect start to their first home game in eight months as Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny and Sam Warburton linked up in midfield and Webb cruised over after a stunning show and go. The Ospreys scrum half carried on where he left off with his region by selling Wallaby debutant Sean McMahon the sweetest of dummies at a ruck on the edge of the 22 and Wales were up and running inside two-and-a-half minutes.
Halfpenny added the extras from 15 metres in from touch on the right for a 7-0 lead but Australia hit back in style approaching a quarter of an hour, as skipper Michael Hooper made the burst that saw Israel Folau touch down underneath the sticks. Hooper powered through Biggar’s attempted tackle after a solid Australian scrum and former AFL and rugby league sensation Folau picked the perfect line to leave Alex Cuthbert with no chance of making a try-saving tackle.
Foley’s straightforward conversion levelled affairs and Australia were ahead just five minutes later as that man Folau struck again. Wales looked the more likely scorers as Jamie Roberts bust through in midfield but the Wallaby full back raced fully 80 metres down the right flank after picking off Webb’s attempted miss pass.
Wales were all square in a similar timespan thanks to a combination of Biggar’s brilliance just outside his 22 and George North’s clever line and composure. Biggar dummied to kick; Foley bought the trick; Adam Ashley-Cooper was left in no man’s land; and North fired through the gap before handing Cuthbert a welcome run in for a wonderfully inventive score.
Halfpenny followed Foley in turning five points into seven but the Wallabies were back in front in the blink of an eye. Turnover ball after Halfpenny’s bravery on the floor left him isolated and exposed gave the tourists momentum and quick hands and no shortage of pace and power from Tevita Kuridrani put Wales back behind their posts for the third time. Alun Wyn Jones and Cuthbert went for the same tackle and neither was able to nail their man, with the end result seeing the Brumbies centre slice through from 30 metres. Foley again added the easiest of extras and Australia were seven points up on the half hour.
The first-half scoring wasn’t finished there, though, and it was Wales who had the last laugh in the opening 40. Warburton opted to run a close-range penalty rather than take a near certain three points and his adventure was immediately rewarded as Jones burrowed through from two metres out as the clock ticked into the red. With Halfpenny having succumbed to injury in the build up to Kuridrani’s try, Biggar brought the highest scoring first half at the Millennium Stadium since 2004 to a fitting end.
Neither side kicked for goal from a penalty in the entirety of the opening half but Foley changed that just three minutes after the restart as he struck from the 22 to hand his side a 24-21 advantage.
Wales then lost Biggar to what appeared to be a groin injury four minutes later and Foley stretched the Australian lead with a second penalty and fifth successful strike from five attempts with 57 minutes gone.
North came close to crossing for Wales on the hour only to be held up by Ashley-Cooper but Wales were celebrating five minutes later after a series of scrums saw referee Craig Joubert award a penalty try. A Welsh pack that by that time included replacements Gethin Jenkins and Scott Baldwin pushed their opponents backwards repeatedly before Joubert lost patience and pointed to the posts.
Rhys Priestland’s conversion gave Wales the lead for the first time since Webb’s early score but heartache followed against the Wallabies once more as Foley struck twice in the closing seven minutes.
