Head to Head
The rugby rivalry between Wales and Australia dates to 1908. In over 48 encounters, the Wallabies have secured 33 victories, while Wales have won 14 matches, with one draw.
In recent years, Australia has maintained an edge. Notably, during Wales’ summer tour to Australia this summer, the Wallabies clinched a 2-0 series win with scores of 25-16 and 36-28.
However, Wales’ last win over the Wallabies was an emphatic 40-6 victory in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, eliminating the Wallabies in the pool stages, which marked one of the last wins that Wales recorded, losing the following 10 games and equalling their losing streak record in the process.
Current Form
2024 has been a year to forget for Welsh rugby, with last Sunday marking 400 days since Gatland's side last won a Test. That was a victory against Georgia in the World Cup pool match in Nantes.
Nine international defeats have followed, including a World Cup quarter-final exit against Argentina, while a Championship Wooden Spoon and summer losses against South Africa and a 2-0 series loss to Australia have put Wales under increased pressure and scrutiny.
With Wales facing a rejuvenated Australia on Sunday before the arrival of world champions South Africa a week later, Gatland's side face the grim prospect of not winning an international match in a calendar year for the first time since 1937.
Australia, under coach Joe Schmidt, are in a rebuilding phase following a challenging period that included a disappointing Rugby World Cup campaign. The team's performance and improvement has been noticeable under his guidance, and it sets the stage for a competitive encounter to prove they Australia is on its way to becoming a global rugby superpower once more.
They head into this match following a dramatic victory against England, which saw an 84th minute try from Max Jorgensen steal the win at the death. The stellar introduction of young Joseph Suaalii has also given the Wallabies reasons for optimism with a home British and Irish Lions series and World Cup to come.
They scored 42 points against England last week (37-42), their most against a European team in Europe since scoring 50 against Italy in November 2013 (50-20)
Team News
Wales will be without the versatile Mason Grady after he has been withdrawn from Wales’s Autumn Nations Series squad following an ankle injury sustained against Fiji will require surgery.
Australia will be without Dynal Pietsch who picked up a calf injury against England and has returned to Australia to begin his rehab. Josh Flook has joined up with the squad in Cardiff.
Coaching Head to Head
This will be the 12th time that Warren Gatland and Joe Schmidt have faced off against one another as head coaches in men’s Test rugby – only Graham Henry and Robbie Deans (15) and Michael Cheika and Steve Hansen (14) have faced each other more often in matches between two Tier 1 nations, with the record currently standing at three wins for Gatland and seven for Schmidt, with one draw.
