Australia v Wales LIVE rugby: Latest result and reaction as Wallabies claim 2-0 series win
Wales could not hit back Melbourne, falling to the Wallabies for a second successive week
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Wales’s search for a first win of 2024 continues after Warren Gatland’s tourists slipped to a 36-28 defeat against Australia in Melbourne.
Wales bounced back on countless occasions, but made too many key mistakes, as Filipo Daugunu scored two tries as the visitors’ suffered a ninth successive Test defeat, their worst run since 2013.
Daugunu scored the first try, before Jake Gordon extended their lead to 17-0. Wales fought back with two tries from Dewi Lake, and Liam Williams’ try took Wales to within one score of Australia, but they did not have enough to keep coming back into the clash.
A losing run stretching back to last year’s World Cup was extended last week in Sydney as the Wallabies began life under Joe Schmidt with victory in an encounter that would have encouraged two young sides.
Each has suffered a significant back row injury blow ahead of the second Test of this two-match series, with Schmidt forced to employ a new skipper in the absence of Liam Wright and Aaron Wainwright forced out with a shoulder problem for Wales.
Defeat last week plunged Gatland’s men to a new low of 11th in the world as pressure begins to build on the New Zealander, who has asked for patience as he rebuilds a side shorn of a number of senior leaders over the last 12 months. Can they finally find an elusive victory at AAMI Park?
Relive all of the action from Australia vs Wales below:
Australia 20-14 Wales
36 minutes: The conversion is good from Thomas, and Wales are within just one kick of Australia’s total.
Try! Australia 20-12 Wales
36 minutes: It’s the driving maul again!
This Welsh maul is just unstoppable, and Dawi Lake has another!
They made the most of the advantage when Salakaia-Loto was shown a yellow card.
Australia 20-7 Wales
34 minutes: This is better from Wales, they have charged down a kick and find themselves 15 metres out.
Winnett looked like he was running well, but the pressure is gone and the Wallabies have the penalty!
Australia 20-7 Wales
32 minutes: There was just a brief break in play while Jeremy Williams received treatment for a head knock, alerted by the smart mouth guards.
Australia 20-7 Wales
31 minutes: Penalty! Wales had worked so hard to reduce the deficit, but a good penalty from Lolesio has extended their advantage.
Cam Winnett held onto the ball in a tackle straight from the kick off, and those three points have been gifted back to the Wallabies.
Try! Australia 17-7 Wales
28 minutes: Try! Wales drove well from the line out in Sydney, and they have done so again here, and they have the try!
Dewi Lake is the player to drop the ball over the line, it’s not an easy conversion for Thomas, but this one he has managed!
Conversion! Australia 17-0 Wales
23 minutes: The conversion is also good from Lolesio.
Try! Australia 15-0 Wales
25 minutes: Wales have made another mistake, the ball was dropped in the air, and the Wallabies have another try.
The ball falls to Gordon who drives over the line!
Australia 10-0 Wales
24 minutes: Thomas loses his footing, and Wales lose possession at the scrum.
It’s so wet in Melbourne there have been a lot of turnovers, and it might just be levelling the playing field between the teams.
Australia 10-0 Wales
21 minutes: Wales have an attacking scrum and a great opportunity, the scrum dissolves, the ball has gone backwards, and the Wallabies have the turnover.
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