Wales 34 – 39 Australia

Mark Nawaqanitawase scored twice as an injury-ravaged Australia came from 21 points down to win in Cardiff

An injury-hit Australia came from 21 points behind to claim a sensational 39-34 victory over Wales at the Principality Stadium.

Wales looked like they would respond to last week’s shock defeat at home to Georgia by holding on in Cardiff, but the Wallabies produced an epic comeback to win.

Openside Jac Morgan scored two tries again – as he did last week in defeat to Los Lelos – while Taulupe Faletau and Rio Dyer added others, and Gareth Anscombe added four conversions and two penalties.

Wallabies hooker Folau Fainga’a and wing Mark Nawaqanitawase (two) scored their tries, with Ben Donaldson adding two penalties and a conversion, but they lost both scrum-half Jake Gordon and prop Tom Robertson to the sin-bin.

The only nation to play five Tests this autumn, this clash had appeared one too many for Australia, who struggled to cope with a raft of injury issues to their squad.

Indeed, having lost eight players from the squad which lost to Ireland last week, and already without a number of players for the tour to Europe, the Wallabies were down to the bare bones at the Principality Stadium.

Despite that, they came from 34-13 behind to 34-32, before kicking on to score the winner through hooker Lachlan Lonergan.

Australia’s Dave Rennie had just 25 players to select from for the Test in Cardiff, due to a raft of injuries

Wales made a terrible start to the contest, as second row Adam Beard spilled the kick-off, and the Wallabies then forced a scrum penalty, which Donaldson – attempting his first kick since missing a straightforward conversion vs Italy in Florence which meant defeat – wobbled it over for 3-0.

Wales responded by forcing a penalty of their own at the next scrum, which Justin Tipuric and Anscombe chose to kick to touch in favour of a shot at goal.

Ben Donaldson kicked the opening points of the contest after a Wales error at the kick off

A knock-on by Wales scrum-half Tomas Williams metres from the posts saw the chance pass by, however, with the hosts having looked lively in the carry.

On 10 minutes, Wales did have the opening try, though, as Morgan slammed over for his third in a week after the returning Alun Wyn Jones took a Williams offload to make the key line-break within the 22, before passing for Morgan to finish strongly.

Impressive back-row Morgan forced his way over for the opening try

A high tackle from Wales Test debutant centre Joe Hawkins soon saw Donaldson dispatch his second penalty, to bring the visitors within a point.

On 19 minutes, Wales stretched their lead back to four points when Anscombe punished Australia openside Fraser McReight for failing to roll away.

Two minutes later, Wales had their second try as Faletau slid over in the corner after Jones had offloaded out the back and Tipuric had made a key carry for big yards in the lead-up.

Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau raced in for their second first half try

Josh Adams – a late call-up to start after Leigh Halfpenny pulled out with a back spasm after the warm-up – ended Australia’s next attack, jackalling over McReight to force a breakdown penalty after scrum-half Jake Gordon had quick-tapped a midfield penalty.

TMO Tom Foley intervened to penalise Australia for a no-arms tackle near the half-hour mark, very harshly based on replays, allowing Anscombe to strike for three more points.

The Wallabies should have struck for their opening try in response as blindside Jed Holloway ran for the corner with support on his inside, but was tackled into touch superbly by Adams.

Gareth Anscombe kicked superbly off the tee, before limping off with an arm injury

Growing into the half, Australia wing Nawaqanitawase sprinted into the 22 and offloaded for Reece Hodge, but the next pass was forward, before the away side kicked to the corner after a Wales high tackle, from which their first try came.

Hooker Fainga’a was the man to get down after breaking from a steady maul drive, and when Donaldson converted, the Wallabies were back within seven points.

But into the final two minutes of the half, Wallabies scrum-half Gordon was sin-binned for tackling Wales replacement scrum-half Kieran Hardy having never got back onside, after which Wales called for a series of scrums, but failed to get over for a try as Hardy was held up with the clock in the red.

A Hodge kick from huge distance early in the second half came back off the post, after Wales had been caught offside, but disaster then struck for Australia as replacement loosehead Tom Robertson was sin-binned for repeated team scrum infringements, reducing them to 13 players.

In their two attacks vs two men less, Wales first forced a penalty from the maul, before then mauling over the try-line for Morgan’s second.

Gordon returned with Australia 14 points adrift, but it was Wales who would score again vs 14 players, as a number of maul drives granted territory, before Dyer finished out wide.

Wing Rio Dyer got over for Wales’ fourth try after Australia had been reduced to 13 men

Restored to 15, Australia struck for their second near the hour mark as Nawaqanitawase finished brilliantly in the corner, though Noah Lolesio struck the tough conversion wide.

Wales skipper Tipuric was sin-binned for a blatant and cynical trip on Pete Samu after an intercept on halfway, and within moments Nawaqanitawase accelerated through for his second.

Lolesio converted to bring the Wallabies within nine points, and into the final 10 minutes, a penalty forced under the posts saw Hodge kick to the corner.

An Australia rolling maul was ruled held-up, but a TMO review showed Wales hooker Ryan Elias had collapsed the maul initially, and so a penalty try was awarded and yellow card produced, reducing Wales to 13 players.

From there, the Wallabies eventually made their superiority in numbers tell with Lonergan scoring in the corner for a magnificent comeback victory.

What’s next?

Wayne Pivac’s Wales have now completed their autumn international schedule for 2022, having picked up a win over Argentina, and defeats vs New Zealand, Georgia and Australia. They are next in action at the 2023 Six Nations, where they start against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday, February 4.

For Dave Rennie and the Wallabies, they too have completed their autumn series, having beaten Scotland at Murrayfield and Wales in Cardiff, but lost away to France, Italy and Ireland.