POSITIVE STRIDES... BUT WALES’ LONG WAIT STILL GOES ON

NINE years, 13 matches, the golden grip on this fixture continues.

An opportunist 63rd minute try by Kurtley ‘Burglar’ Beale ended any Welsh hopes of releasing the boa-like hold the Wallabies have had on this fixture as Warren Gatland was left to reflect on another tale of what have been in the opening match of their 2017 autumn series campaign.

There was a freshness and energy to the Welsh attacking game that had been promised in the build-up, but it was mixed with a naivety and a frustratingly lack of composure at crucial moments.

Operating with the much-documented Dan Biggar-Owen Williams 10-12 playmaker axis, Wales created plenty of half-chances, stretching the Wallabies out wide on numerous occasions.

But all too often passes were spilled or rushed.

Crucially, in an error-strewn first half, they also failed, what in coaching parlance is known as their exit strategy, gifting Australia field position from restarts and allowing Michael Cheika’s men to build up a 2213 interval advantage thanks to three first-half tries.

Steff Evans’s beautifully crafted score, combined with a vastly-improved second half display will offer promise for what lies ahead this autumn.

But this brave new Wales remain a work very much in progress, with a late injury to Lions star Jonathan Davies – who left on a stretcher nursing what looked to be an ankle injury – providing serious concern.

Looking for their first win against the men in gold since 2008, there was a real edginess and uncertainty about the Welsh play in an opening period littered with errors.

An eighth-minute Leigh Halfpenny penalty would have calmed the nerves, but the lead was short lived as the Australian pack drove over from an attacking line-out with hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, who was all over the field, claiming the touch down.

Wales’ response was swift and slick.

There appeared little on when Gareth Davies gathered a scrappy line-out on halfway, but the Scarlets scrum-half turned on the afterburners to race in the Aussie 22 and from the ensuing ruck, sharp hands freed wing Evans, who did well to cut inside Marika Koroibete to touch down for his third Test try in as many ap- pearances.

That good work, though, was quickly undone as Wales failed to deal with the restart.

A knock-on handed Australia another threatening attacking position and it led to lock Adam Coleman hitting a superb line onto a flat pass from man of the match Will Genia for his side’s second try.

A long-range Reece Hodge pen- alty was cancelled out by Halfpenny three minutes before the interval and Wales were very much in the contest at 17-13, but having not learned the lessons from earlier in the half, they couldn’t clear their lines and were ruthlessly punished.

Dishing out a lesson in how to turn territory into points, the Aussies patiently tested the Welsh defence before flanker Michael

Hooper was given enough space to outstrip the cover and make it 22-13 at the break.

The half-time stats told their own story with Wales having to make 90 tackles compared to 30 by Australia and the home side enjoying just 37% possession.

The second half began in similar vein – Wales failed to clear their lines, Australia pressed.

This time, Wales did manage to escape and a Halfpenny penalty on 51 minutes reduced the arrears to just six points.

With the momentum of the game swinging in the home side’s favour, Halfpenny put a kick from halfway just wide, and then came the killer blow.

With Wales on the offensive, Evans saw the ball pilfered by Beale, with the Aussie full-back enjoying the freedom of Cardiff to race 60 metres unopposed for the score despite more than a hint of a knock-on.

Hooper was shown yellow 13 minutes from time for an infringement at a ruck, but despite dominating the final exchanges, Wales had to be content with a consolation score from replacement Hallam Amos in the final move of the match.