On a fine evening in Brisbane Australia showed just what they can do with ball in hand and the forwards on fire. With a supply of good ball Will Genia inspired the team to put pace and power into the game and show Wales that the Six Nations Champions will not have an easy time down under.
The first half and Australia had a strong grip on the game, if not on the scoreboard as they went in just 10-3 at the break.
The second period and Wales needed to get some ball and field position, but it was Australia who stretched the lead out to 14 points but Wales now woke and an Alex Cuthbert try and Halfpenny’s boot brought them to 20-19. However this re-galvanised Australia and they finished the stronger claiming another try and the win putting them very much on the front foot for the next game in a weeks time. An exhilarating game ended with the final score of:
Australia 27-19 Wales
Scorers
Australia
Tries: Higginbotham, Genia, McCabe
Cons: Barnes (3)
Pen: Barnes
Drop-goal: Barnes
Wales
Tries: Cuthbert
Con: Halfpenny
Pens: Halfpenny (4)
Teams
Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW); Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Rob Horne (NSW), Pat McCabe (ACT), Digby Ioane (Queensland); Berrick Barnes (NSW), Will Genia (Queensland); Benn Robinson (NSW), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Queensland), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland), David Pocock (Western Force, capt), Wycliff Palu (NSW).
Replacements: Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), Dave Dennis (NSW), Michael Hooper (ACT), Nic White (ACT), Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland), Mike Harris (Queensland).
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), George North (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons).
Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Ashley Beck (Ospreys).