Australia v Wales LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Wallabies end losing run with victory in Sydney

Wales have gone under Down Under

It is 55 years since Wales beat the Wallabies on Australian soil. That 19-16 success at Sydney Cricket Ground in 1969 was secured by a Wales team featuring players like JPR Williams, John Dawes, Barry John and Gareth Edwards, but it has been one-way traffic during 11 subsequent meetings.

Wales lost the lot, including sizeable defeats such as 63-6 (1991), 42-3 (1996) and 31-0 (2007), although the last time they visited in 2012 they went down by a combined margin of just three points across the second and third Tests.

Both nations are in rebuilding mode during the early stages of a four-year World Cup cycle, yet history shows how tough a task Wales face.

Dewi Lake insists that records are “meant to be broken” as Wales target a first victory against Australia Down Under for 55 years. Wales captain Lake leads his team in Sydney on Saturday, striving to avoid an eighth successive defeat.

Wales last won a Test match during the 2023 World Cup pool stage, when they defeated Georgia, and the Wallabies have reeled off 11 successive triumphs against them in Australia since losing 19-16 in 1969. Lake knows what it takes to defy the odds, having featured when Wales beat South Africa in Bloemfontein two years ago.

And the last time Wales met Australia – a World Cup clash in Lyon – they prevailed 40-6 as the Wallabies lurched towards an early exit. Since then, though, Wales have suffered a run of losses that includes a Six Nations wooden spoon, while Australia are now under the coaching direction of former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt, who succeeded Eddie Jones.

“Records like that (Wales’ defeats in Australia) are meant to be broken,” Lake said. “It gives us a great opportunity, a great marker something this group can change or leave behind.

Gloucester wing Josh Hathaway is the eye-catching inclusion in the Welsh starting side as Warren Gatland wastes no time capping a player who represented both Wales and England at youth level. Cardiff’s Ben Thomas is handed the starting fly half’s shirt despite playing most of his rugby at inside centre domestically, with club colleagues Ellis Bevan and Mason Grady backed at nine and 12 respectively. Bath prop Archie Griffin will make his first Test start.

Wales XV: 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Dewi Lake (capt.), 3 Archie Griffin; 4 Christ Tshiunza, 5 Dafydd Jenkins; 6 Taine Plumtree, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Aaron Wainwright; 9 Ellis Bevan, 10 Ben Thomas; 11 Rio Dyer, 12 Mason Grady, 13 Owen Watkin, 14 Josh Hathaway; 15 Liam Williams

Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Cory Hill, 20 James Botham; 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Nick Tompkins

Joe Schmidt selects a new-look Wallabies side skippered for the first time by flanker Liam Wright. His 23 features seven uncapped players and just six survivors from the 40-6 defeat to Wales at the World Cup.

Centre Josh Flook and lock Jeremy Williams will make their debuts in the starting line-up, with prop Isaac Kailea, lock Angus Blyth, loose forward Charlie Cale, wing Dylan Pietsch and fly half Tom Lynagh —the 21-year-old son of Wallabies great Michael — the newbies on an inexperienced bench.

Australia XV: 1 James Slipper, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Jeremy Williams, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; 6 Liam Wright (capt.), 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Rob Valetini; 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Filipo Daugunu, 12 Hunter Paisami, 13 Josh Flook, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright.

Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Charlie Cale, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch.

The first Test is set to kick off at 10.45am BST on Saturday 6 July at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Action, with coverage on the channel from 10.30am BST. Subscribers can stream the encounter via Sky Go.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Wales and Australia meet with each in need of a victory at the start of a two-Test series.

A disastrous Six Nations campaign continued a difficult year for Welsh Rugby, with Warren Gatland’s side securing a wooden spoon.

Injuries and retirements mean Gatland’s touring party is weaker than he’d like as he seeks to end a 55-year wait for a Welsh win over the Wallabies on Australian soil.

The hosts, meanwhile, are set to play their first match under Joe Schmidt after the ex-Ireland boss and All Blacks assistant replaced Eddie Jones at the end of a woeful World Cup last year.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Australia v Wales from Sydney. A fascinating Test series awaits as two rugby nations in complete and utter disarray collide.

Stick with us for all the action from the first Test.