Wales fluff their chance against below par Wallabies
November 25, 2001

Wales have not beaten Australia in Cardiff since 1981 and they will probably never get a better chance than this

They were all over the World Champions in the first half but somehow managed to go in trailing 9-3 at the break.

And when it was all over, Australia had chalked up their eighth successive victory over Wales, this time in a Test match that will be consigned to room 101.

Wales, whose last win against the Wallabies came during the inaugural World Cup in 1987 in a dramatic third-place play-off, contributed massively to their own downfall.

As well as failing to make overwhelming territorial first-half dominance count, they also conceded no end of penalties.

Which left Wallabies full-back Matt Burke having a field day. He landed seven kicks at goal from 10 attempts, leaving Wales wondering what might have been.

Rugby league convert Iestyn Harris landed a penalty in each half and converted substitute Gavin Thomas's injury-time try for Wales.

Neither side created much in the way of attacking rugby, Wallabies wing Joe Roff seeing a 66th-minute try disallowed after he gathered opposite number Wayne Proctor's clearance kick and sprinted clear - and it was left to Bath flanker Iestyn Thomas to provide the only try with the game's last move.

The Wallabies look a shadow of the side which lifted the World Cup at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, sorely missing the talisman influence of their retired captain John Eales.

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