AUSSIES AT FULL THROTTLE

BERNARD FOLEy says there is no danger of Australia resting on their laurels after beating world champions New Zealand three weeks ago. The Wallabies face Wales in Cardiff today, where they will target a 13th successive victory over their hosts. Given such dominance — and the fact they toppled New Zealand — makes them firm favourites to extend that winning run and continue Wales’ sequence of not having won an opening autumn Test since 2002. ‘It was the first taste of beating the All Blacks for a number of young guys, and it was big, but it was more reward for the hard work put in throughout the year,’ said Australia fly-half Foley, whose side face Scotland in two weeks’ time at Murrayfield. ‘We do not hang our hat on winning one game or beating one side. We have to do it over and over again, and the challenges we will face in the northern hemisphere are just as big as that Test. We have spoken about that, and we have to rise to the challenge, because winning away from home is not easily done. Every player has to find a way to win, and that is the challenge for us over the coming weeks.’ It has been nine years since Wales last beat Australia, 2019 Rugby World Cup pool opponents again in Tokyo, almost a decade of near-misses and what-ifs. ‘It is amazing that we have not won since 2008,’ said Martyn Williams, the flanker that day who went on to win 100 caps. ‘It is incredible looking at the amount of talent we have had. We need to get the monkey off our back before the World Cup. We need to beat them. It’s a really important game.’