A crowd of 58,000 mostly remained untroubled by what had been a tryless match until the final seconds.
This match was centered on Wales attempting to rediscover their winning ways, and they came agonizingly close to doing just that.
Australia has faced recent criticism, but they silenced some doubters with a ‘never-say-die’ approach that clinched the game in the closing moments.
Under the guidance of interim head coach Rob Howley, Wales will embark on their RBS 6 Nations title defense against Ireland in Cardiff on February 2, approaching the match now with confidence, despite their loss to the Wallabies.
Luke Charteris sustained a significant shoulder and head injury while attempting a tackle on Wallabies flanker Scott Higginbotham, prompting Ryan Jones to step in for the Perpignan forward, who was assisted off the field before returning shortly after.
Beale, for the visitors, squandered an early penalty opportunity, while it took Wales nearly eight minutes to relieve pressure within their own 22-meter area.
Wales finally sparked into action by ambitiously running the ball from their own line, allowing wing Alex Cuthbert to race 60 meters before being tackled into touch by Wallabies full-back Berrick Barnes.
Despite Barnes’ strong defensive play dampening their adventurous spirit, Wales appeared ready to deliver some quality attacking rugby.
Beale opened the scoring with a 50-meter penalty, but Halfpenny quickly equalized with a kick from just inside his own half.
This left the opening quarter at 3-3, but Wales began to pick up the pace after a shaky start, with Halfpenny’s second successful penalty reflecting their impressive efforts from a motivated pack.
Halfpenny, undoubtedly Wales’ most reliable player throughout the autumn, surged forward aggressively to create a scoring opportunity.
His kick into space bounced just behind Australia’s line, yet Wallabies number eight Wycliff Palu managed to slightly nudge out Wales captain Sam Warburton in a tense race for the ball.
Australia countered that close call when another long-range penalty from Beale equalized the match at 6-6 as both teams traded blows in search of an advantage.
Palu narrowly avoided a yellow card following a high tackle on Wales hooker Matthew Rees, and the home team seemed more likely to break the deadlock in tries.
However, a third penalty from Beale put Australia ahead by three points after Roberts was penalized for failing to roll away in the tackle, while Halfpenny missed a penalty with the final kick of the half.
Early in the second half, Australia aimed to shift possession wide, occasionally stretching Wales’ defense. The home side needed a stroke of luck as Barnes overlooked a three-man attacking overlap, opting to kick instead.
A third successful kick from Halfpenny leveled the score again after 54 minutes, followed by another penalty from him six minutes later that restored Wales’ lead, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Yet, the moment belonged to Australia as they celebrated, leaving Wales pondering what could have been.
As the game appeared to be in Wales’s favor at 12-9 with just a minute remaining, replacement flanker Dave Dennis found a narrow gap out wide, sending the ball to Beale, who sprinted past Alex Cuthbert to score in the corner.
by Terence Johns
