Wales began the Invseco Perpetual Series with a narrow defeat to inform Australia on Saturday afternoon.
The Wallabies arrived in Cardiff on the back of a thrilling win over the All Blacks in Hong Kong but Wales came close to matching their 2008 triumph before falling nine points short.
Having trailed for most of an energetic encounter at the Millennium Stadium, a Richie Rees try gave Wales hope of a famous win when the replacement scrum-half cut the gap to the six points with 10 minutes remaining.
But despite plenty of endeavour, Wales were unable to find another way through, leaving Australia to celebrate a 25-16 win on the first leg of their European tour.
Wales struck first shortly after the 2.30pm kick-off when Stephen Jones slotted a straightforward second-minute penalty but it was Australia who claimed the game’s first try just five minutes later.
Relentless pressure eventually resulted in a simple score for David Pocock, with the impressive Wallaby openside crashing over from close range.
Having replaced Matt Giteau as his country’s first-choice kicker following his touchline heroics against New Zealand, James O’Connor had no problem adding the extras from just to the right of the posts.
Jones had the chance to reduce the arrears with 17 minutes on the clock but the Scarlets fly-half sent his 35-metre penalty attempt wide of the left-hand upright.
Wales pressed hard for a try of their own during the middle stages of the half but Pocock’s poaching skills at the breakdown saw Australia maintain their four-point advantage.
Jones cut the gap to a single point with eight minutes of the half remaining after an Australian infringement at a lineout five metres out but O’Connor was almost immediately given an opportunity to restore a more comfortable gap for the Wallabies.
Tom Shanklin appeared to be harshly penalised for a high tackle on Will Genia, giving O’Connor a shot at goal 40 metres out. Fortunately for Wales, the 19-year-old failed to hit the target to leave Australia with a slender 7-6 advantage.
The Wallabies came close to adding a second try before giving away a penalty just a metre shy of the Welsh line on 37 minutes but it was Wales who had the final chance to put points on the board in the first period.
A third successful penalty from Jones would have seen the home side take a two-point lead into the interval but the veteran playmaker pushed his effort wide of the near post from the right-hand side of the field.
Australia began the second half in a similar manner to the way they had started the first as they again crossed the Welsh line seven minutes in.
Much had been made of the Wallabies’ outstanding counter attacking abilities in the build up to the game and they came to the fore when Wales appeared to be in little danger of conceding a score when Quade Cooper’s kick was blocked deep in Australian territory.
Although fortune favoured the visitors when the ball fell directly into the path of Genia, the remainder of that passage of play was simply sensational.
Genia drew his man and then fed O’Connor, who sprinted clear of the covering defence before supplying a well-timed scoring pass to man-of-the match Kurtly Beale.
O’Connor sent over his second successful conversion and Wales were suddenly more than score behind for the first time in the match.
Warren Gatland’s men were soon back within a converted try of the Wallabies, however, as Jones kept his composure to slot a pressure 40-metre penalty to narrow the gap to 14-9 with 52 minutes played.
A piece of individual brilliance almost silenced an increasingly atmospheric Millennium Stadium as Beale caught his own kick ahead and skipped towards the Wales line before chipping the ball to the right of James Hook. Beale raced around the left of the Wales full back, reclaimed possession and slid towards the Wales line before losing his grasp on the ball inches short.
Australia did go on to claim their third try three minutes later as they moved the ball left and right in another clinical counter attack.
With Cooper having robbed Bradley Davies of possession close to halfway, the Wallabies stretched the Welsh defence, with Drew Mitchell making vital yards down the left-hand touchline.
With pressure telling and Welsh defenders getting sucked in, Cooper’s floated pass found O’Connor and the youngster in turn fed prop Ben Alexander who dived over for a memorable try.
O’Connor was unable to make it a seven-point score from wide on the right but he did extend Australia’s lead to 22-9 with a first penalty with 15 minutes remaining.
Wales lost Shanklin to the sinbin for the off the ball tackle on Pocock that led to the penalty, leaving Wales with a numerical disadvantage as they set about overturning Australia’s 13-point lead.
A triple substitution breathed new life into Wales, with halfbacks Rees and Dan Biggar and flanker Martyn Williams adding an extra dimension as the game neared its conclusion.
Williams should naturally have grabbed the headlines by making his 100th Test appearance for Wales and the Lions, but it was Rees who gave Wales real hope with 10 minutes left in Cardiff.
The Blues No9 scrambled over for Wales’ first try of the autumn series after superb work from the Welsh pack.
Three massive scrums put the Wallabies on the back foot five metres out, with Rees exploiting the space to burrow over despite a shuddering hit from Pocock.
Biggar’s conversion from narrowly right of the posts cut the deficit to 22-16, meaning another converted score would give Wales the lead.
But despite massive encouragement from the Millennium Stadium crowd, Wales were unable to breakdown a stubborn Australian defence, with another O’Connor penalty giving the Wallabies a hard-fought 25-16 win.
Wales now turn their attentions to the second match of the Invesco Perpetual Series – the clash with reigning World Champions South Africa at the Millennium Stadium next Saturday.
