Wales squandered a 21-point second-half lead to lose 39-34 to Australia at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in a defeat that will further increase the pressure on head coach Wayne Pivac.
Jac Morgan scored two tries to help put Wales in a commanding position after 52 minutes, but Lachlan Lonergan completed a stunning late comeback to snap Australia's three-match losing run and inflict a ninth loss in 12 Tests on Pivac's side.
Morgan added to his double against Georgia by dotting down inside 10 minutes against Australia, either side of two penalties for Ben Donaldson, before Taulupe Faletau powered through a couple of Australian tackles to slide into the corner for a try on his 100th Test.
Gareth Anscombe added to that tally with a couple of penalties as part of a 10-point haul in the first half, though Folau Fainga'a touched down prior to half-time to reduce Wales' lead to two points.
Jake Gordon and Tom Robertson was sin-binned either side of half-time and Australia were made to pay when Morgan found the chalk from a driving maul, and the hosts were further ahead when Rio Dyer found the corner after a well-worked move.
Mark Nawaqanitawase revived Australia's hopes by twice crossing over and Wales themselves lost their discipline as Justin Tipuric and Ryan Elias were yellow carded, with the referee also awarding a penalty try after the latter deliberately collapsed a driving maul.
Wales still had a two-point lead to protect with a minute remaining, but Lonergan walked in a dramatic last-gasp try following yet more good play from Nawaqanitawase, allowing Noah Lolesio to add the game-sealing extras.
Wales to host South Korea in September friendly
Wales will play South Korea at home in a September friendly.
It will be the first time the two nations have met at senior men’s level and will take place at Cardiff City Stadium on September 7, four days before Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia.
South Korea, who are captained by Tottenham forward Son Heung-min, reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Former Germany and United States boss Jurgen Klinsmann was appointed South Korea head coach in February.
“Many teams are tied up in Europe with qualifiers and it’s not always easy to get strong opposition during the few occasions we get the chance to play friendlies,” said Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales.
“So to have the likes of Son Heung-min – Ben Davies’ teammate at Spurs – and many other high quality players coming to Cardiff is great for us.
“They had a really good World Cup getting to the knockout stage and it’s important we keep testing ourselves against different styles of football.
“South Korea offers us a really interesting chance to do that, and I’m sure we’ll have another great crowd to cheer on Cymru before the ‘Red Wall’ head for Riga a few days later.”
Wales plan to play an October friendly against Gibraltar at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground.
A March 2019 friendly against Trinidad and Tobago is the only time Wales men’s senior team have played at the Racecourse – the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches – over the last 15 years.
Wales manager Rob Page announces his squad on Tuesday for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey having taken four points from their opening two games in March.
We don’t care – Jackson Wray happy Saracens defied haters with Premiership title
Jackson Wray believes new Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens deserve more respect for emerging from one of the bleakest episodes in the league’s history as a title-winning force once more.
Sale were defeated 35-25 in a gripping final at Twickenham on Saturday as Saracens claimed their sixth domestic crown with captain Owen Farrell producing a masterclass at fly-half.
It provided an element of redemption after they were shaded 15-12 by Leicester in last year’s showpiece, which they reached in their first season back in the Premiership having been relegated in 2020 for repeated salary cap breaches.
As part of their punishment they were fined £5.4million and while some players departed, the bulk of them – including their core of England stars – remained for the campaign spent in the Championship.
The loyalty shown has enabled Saracens to return to the summit of the English game and Wray, who is retiring after 13 years as a professional at his only club, has sounded a note of defiance.
“I don’t think people talk about this enough. It was the biggest fine in sporting history in a game where you lose money every year. Let’s just put that in perspective for a moment,” Wray said.
“And we have got through it. That says a lot more about the owners. They said, ‘we made a mistake and we will stay and put it right’.
“Together we have done it. We have done our bit as players – stayed and fought and gone against everyone.
“Even in this final. Everyone was with Sale. Every club in the land was with Sale. Do you know what? That’s how we like it. That is how we have always liked it. No one wants us to win and we don’t care.
“We want to do well for each other and well for the club because this club has given us everything. It has given me everything for 17 years and the least I can do is pull on this shirt with pride every week.”
Saracens’ celebrations spill over into Sunday, with the squad holding a retro sports shirt fancy dress event in London.
For Maro Itoje victory over Sale has placed the sight of Freddie Burns landing a last-gasp drop goal to clinch the title for Leicester 12 months earlier firmly in the rear-view mirror.
“I’m just happy. Last year we fell short, we got close, a drop goal was a painful way to lose,” Itoje said.
“I was tired of seeing that Freddie Burns drop goal every five minutes on BT Sport! Thank God I don’t have to go through another year of that. All in all, super happy!
“You can’t really hold on to the past too much but going through the pain of last year, I think it is fair to say we have been fairly consistent all throughout the season.
“Even when the internationals were away, the guys again stepped up. And obviously we have a few internationals, so those guys have been fantastic.”
Steve Hansen says Israel Folau must be allowed to move on from anti-gay comments
World XV coach Steve Hansen insisted Israel Folau should be able to move on from the anti-gay views that resulted in Rugby Australia terminating his contract.
Folau scored a try but was booed throughout Sunday’s 48-42 loss to the Barbarians by a group of around 100 banner-waving LGBTQ+ protesters, while the Rugby Football Union raised the pride flag on the roof of Twickenham.
The devout Christian was sacked by RA in 2019 for publishing a series of discriminatory posts on social media, including one telling “homosexuals” that “hell awaits you”.
He has switched national allegiance to Tonga ahead of this autumn’s World Cup and Hansen, who was wearing a pride wristband, said a line should be drawn under the episode.
“Everyone is allowed an opinion. We don’t necessarily have to agree with each other on our opinions but you are entitled to have one,” Hansen said.
“You can’t be punished for the rest of your life for having an opinion that most of us disagree with.
“I’ve always been a great believer that you can’t help somebody change by leaving them on the outside.”
A 32,597 crowd enjoyed a 14-try thriller as stars such as Charles Piutau, Semi Radradra and Sbu Nkosi caught the eye in glorious conditions.
It provided Barbarians coach Eddie Jones with a triumphant return in his first appearance at Twickenham since being sacked by England in December.
In previous years he coached against the Barbarians and he urged the RFU to be careful over how its traditional annual fixture against the Red Rose is marketed in the future.
“I can speak as a former England coach. I don’t think England should play the Barbarians, unless it’s a younger England team,” Jones said.
“At this time of the season you can never pick the England team, so it shouldn’t be called England. It should be called England President’s XV or something like that.
“Playing against the Barbarians is a great idea but to try and sell it as England is not honest. It’s not honest.”
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