They head into the second match of their tour hot off the back of a dramatic 84th-minute win over England at Allianz Stadium that not only kept their Grand Slam dreams alive - 40 years after the last - but also served as a much-needed morale boost for a side that, just a few weeks ago, seemed to be faltering. It was a win laden with symbolism: Australia, essentially written off as a waste of by former England stalwart Ben Youngs, produced a result that turned their critics into believers, as Youngs himself admitted, serving him “a slice of humble pie.”
But as the Wallabies gear up for Wales, another traditional powerhouse of the rugby world finds itself in a downward spiral – an unprecedented ten-match losing streak that has heaped pressure on coach Warren Gatland and his squad. This weekend in Cardiff, these two teams, one on the rise and one seemingly in freefall, will bring their contrasting fortunes into stark relief.
For Australia, there’s an undeniable sense of momentum. Their triumph over England was not just a hard-fought victory but a declaration that the Wallabies are no longer the pushovers they had appeared to be earlier in the year. Head coach Joe Schmidt, whose meticulous planning and strategic nous have revived hope in Australian rugby, has cautioned his team against basking in their victory for too long. His players, it seems, have taken this to heart. Wallabies lock Jeremy Williams echoed Schmidt’s approach, saying, “You celebrate the win […] and then your preparation starts straight after the game for the next week ahead.” It’s a message steeped in pragmatism, a reminder that Australia’s fortunes have fluctuated wildly in recent years and that consistency is their next great test.
If beating England has rewritten the future for the Australians - who, lest we forget, have both a British and Irish Lions series and a World Cup on home soil in the next two years - then the big-bucks signing of 21-year-old Joseph Suaalii from rugby league will have been worth it on that one showing alone. The word 'freak' has been bandied about, and maybe he did show glimpses that merited a description that has been used for men like Jonah Lomu, George North and Antoine Dupont.
The victory at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham has reignited Australian fans’ enthusiasm, though history urges caution. The Wallabies have repeatedly struggled to build momentum after big wins. In the last decade, they’ve only managed back-to-back victories on nine occasions; the elation of a headline-grabbing win is too often followed by the disappointment of a subsequent defeat. Schmidt knows that this pattern of inconsistency must end if Australia are to reclaim their place among the world’s rugby elite. Len Ikitau, the Wallabies centre who has been affectionately renamed ‘Lenny Flickitau’ after his backhanded flick-pass set up his team’s late winner against England, acknowledged this challenge: “For us, it’s just being consistent, making sure that we’re backing up a good performance with another good performance. And I feel like we can do that this week against a tough Wales side.”
In stark contrast, Wales’ fortunes could hardly be bleaker. Gatland’s team is on a ten-match losing streak, a painful record they last matched in 2003. The defeat against Fiji in Cardiff on Sunday marked a new low, sending the Principality Stadium crowd into stunned silence as they witnessed Wales’ first-ever home loss to the Pacific Islanders. Tomos Williams’ recent injury has only deepened the team’s woes, as the scrum-half’s absence further weakens an already fragile line-up. Former Welsh star Dan Biggar didn’t mince words, saying, “It cannot continue like this… You can’t go 11, 12, 13 losses on the spin without some serious questions being asked.”
The pressure on Gatland has reached a fever pitch. Brought back at the end of 2022 to restore Wales to its former glory, he has instead struggled to produce meaningful results, winning just six of 22 Tests since his return. The coach, however, has defended his approach, framing the losing streak as part of a painful but necessary rebuilding phase. With a mix of new players and the absence of experienced leaders, Gatland argues he is laying the groundwork for a future Wales squad that will be capable of competing at the highest level. For now, though, the Welsh faithful can only watch as their team, a shadow of its former self, takes the field under an ever-darkening cloud.
Gatland is, like fellow Kiwi Schmidt, one of the greatest coaches the European game has seen. He has turned around the fortunes of Welsh rugby before, and if he still has the Midas touch, how the Cymru faithful would love to see it against the men in gold this weekend.
As much as Australia’s rise and Wales’ fall appear worlds apart, Sunday’s clash at Principality Stadium holds the potential for a twist in the tale. For Wales, the memory of their last win over Australia – a 40-6 dismantling during the 2023 Rugby World Cup – might provide a glimmer of hope in these difficult times (more so than the more recent two-Test series loss down under in the summer). Gatland’s men may be battered, but they know how to defy the odds, especially on home soil.
If history has shown anything, it’s that the momentum in rugby can shift in the blink of an eye. And as the Wallabies aim to secure back-to-back wins this Autumn Nations Series, they’d do well to remember the unpredictability of a team on the brink. Wales, down but not yet out, may just be primed to produce the same shock that Australia delivered against England.
Wales v Australia, Sunday 17th November, 16:10. Live on TNT Sports.
