Wales play out entertaining Wallabies draw
Gavin Henson was back in the centres for Wales
Also In The News
|
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has signed a contract extension at Chelsea that will see him remain at the Premiership champions for four more years. |  |
Saturday, 04, Nov 2006 07:32
Wales and Australia fought their way to a 29-29 draw in a hugely enjoyable start to the rugby union Autumn internationals.
It is a mark of how far the Welsh have come that as the referee blew his whistle for full-time the main emotion among the team was disappointment at not repeating last year's win over the visitors.
Certainly when they led 26-17 approaching the game's last quarter it seemed as if the Dragons may have done enough for victory, but the Australian fighting spirit and a devastating counter-attacking burst from Chris Latham was to deny them.
In a see-sawing match it was Australia that took the early initiative as Cameron Shepard crossed after 12 minutes after a powerful break from imposing number eight Wycliff Palu.
Matt Giteau, who started at scrum-half rather than his usual centre position, showed classic number nine instincts as he nipped over as the Welsh players assumed he would kick for goal from a penalty.
His fine conversion made the score 17-6 to the Wallabies with just 20 minutes gone, but, roared on by the Millennium Stadium crowd, Wales soon mounted a comeback.
Promising youngster James Hook was thrust into the limelight as he replaced injured captain Stephen Jones, but the Ospreys fly-half thrived on his first international appearance at home and was a key part of the recovery.
Shane Williams capitalised on an overlap to reduce the deficit seven minutes before the break with Hook adding the extras and a penalty kick soon after to put them within a point at the interval.
Another Hook penalty put the hosts in front before Williams kick ahead caused chaos in a stretched green-and-gold defence and Martyn Williams dropped on the loose ball to set up a commanding lead.
But it wasn't to last as another Giteau break just two minutes later opened up space for Shepard to cross for his second of the day.
Australia went back ahead when Latham gathered a speculative kick from Kevin Morgan raced down the line, before scything inside the cover for a superb individual try.
Hook completed a fine performance from the tee to draw his team level, but neither side could find a killer blow in the remaining nine minutes.