Wales head coach Warren Gatland said there were positives to take from his side's 25-16 defeat against Australia in the first match of their summer series.
The Dragons slipped to their eighth straight test defeat in Sydney, giving Joe Schmidt an opening victory in his first match in charge of Australia.
Tries from Taniela Tupou, Filipo Daugunu and Tom Wright set up the victory, while Wales managed a penalty try and nine points from new fly-half Ben Thomas.
Wales' winless run is now their worst losing sequence since a run of eight in 2012 and 2013.
Gatland was impressed with his team's performance, but questioned why James Botham's second-half try was disallowed for obstruction.
"I just need to get some clarity on the disallowed try in terms of the decision which was made, I'm not 100% sure," Gatland said.
"We know where we are at the moment. We're developing this team, and we're going to have to learn from these experiences.
"There were some real positives out of there in terms of what we are trying to do."
It was a 14th loss in 20 matches for Gatland in his second stint in charge after returning as head coach at the end of 2022.
"Unfortunately, resilience doesn't win games. Credit to the heart and the dig-in the boys showed - that's going to get us far," captain Dewi Lake said.
"But a young team, we've got to learn how to win games, put points on the board, and see games out.
"Credit to Australia, they put points on the board and made us chase the game.
"There were a couple of opportunities we missed and that's probably the difference on the scoreboard."
Australia will now look to wrap up the two-Test series in Melbourne next Saturday.
Data Debrief: Wales' losing rut continues
The latest loss for Wales means they drop to their lowest position in World Rugby's rankings, slipping to 11th and falling outside the top 10 for the first time.
It was also a 12th successive defeat against the Wallabies in Australia in an away losing streak that stretches back to 1969.
Japan 1-1 Australia: Own goals see points shared in World Cup qualifying
An own goal at either end saw Japan and Australia draw 1-1 in the third round of World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Australia's stuttering start to qualifying continued, as Cameron Burgess bundled into his own net as the visitors failed to hold onto their lead.
It was all Japan in the opening stages, but despite their first-half dominance, they struggled to create an opening, with only Ritsu Doan testing Joe Gauci.
Australia, whose only shot came in the seventh minute, took the lead against the run of play – Lewis Miller's low cross was turned into the back of the net by Shogo Taniguchi, who should have done better with the clearance.
Japan got their own slice of luck in the 76th minute though, as Keito Nakamura weaved his way down the left to the byline before pulling it back into the middle, and Gauci could not keep out Burgess' attempted block.
The hosts attempted to push for a late winner, but Australia sat deep to protect what could prove a crucial point against another of Asia's best teams.
Data Debrief: Firing blanks
It was far from a classic, with both teams offering little in terms of attacking threat. In fact, Australia did not manage a single shot on target, only logging one overall.
Indeed, their expected goals (xG) tells the story, with Australia mustering just 0.01, in contrast to Japan's 0.76, which came from 12 shots, and only three of those were on target.
Taniguchi's own goal is the fourth that Australia have benefitted from in 2024, while only in 2018 have they ever recorded more such goals (five).
Bellamy wants more from Wales after extending unbeaten start
Craig Bellamy insists there is still room for improvement for Wales after seeing off Montenegro 1-0 to make it four games without defeat.
Harry Wilson's 36th-minute penalty earned Wales all three points in Monday's Nations League Group B4 clash at Cardiff City Stadium.
Bellamy, who succeeded Rob Page in July, is the first Wales head coach to avoid defeat in his first four games in charge of the senior men's side.
As well as beating Montenegro home and away, Wales have also drawn 0-0 at home to Turkiye and 2-2 in Iceland.
Reflecting on his side's latest win, Bellamy told S4C: "I was impressed by us being able to control the tempo of the second half, but we still need improvement on it.
"You will get breaks and it feels like you can score because they have players forward, but it's also dangerous then for the counter.
"That transitional game becomes a little complicated, whereas in the first half they sat a lot deeper which allows us to really control the tempo of the game. Of course at the moment that really suits us.
"But we have got to stay calm, in transition but even when we have knockdowns and balls in and around.
"You secure the ball and pass to your team-mates and there are still bits for improvement we need, but we were better than last time."
Match-winner Wilson has now been directly involved in nine goals in his past 11 appearances for Wales, as many as in his previous 41 matches.
The Fulham forward kept his place in a much-changed Wales side on the back of Friday's draw in Iceland, which showed seven alterations in all.
Wilson was the star performer in a game Wales dominated for large parts, with Montenegro failing to register a single shot on target.
It means the Dragons have avoided facing an effort on target in two of their past seven matches across all competitions, matching the tally from their previous 34 games.
For all Wales' dominance, though, Montenegro substitute Andrija Radulovic fired a 20-yard drive against the crossbar.
"There were a lot of changes, and a lot of players who all definitely deserved the opportunity to play as well," Bellamy added. "The Nations League is so good and so competitive."
Wales trail leaders Turkiye by two points heading into next month's contest in Kayseri, before the Dragons round off their Nations League campaign at home to Iceland.
Montenegro, bottom of the table without a point and on a record run of six losses in a row, host Iceland and Turkiye in their final two matches.
Wigglesworth promoted in England backroom reshuffle
Richard Wigglesworth has been promoted to England's senior assistant coach after a reshuffle of their backroom staff ahead of the upcoming Tests.
The former scrumhalf will remain in charge of England's attack but will also now act as the number two to Steve Borthwick, collaborating with him on the team’s game plan.
The pair previously worked together at Leicester Tigers in the Premiership, leading the team to the title in 2022.
"Richard's deep knowledge of the game and his excellent tactical understanding means he has become a key figure in our coaching team," said Borthwick.
"He shares our emotional commitment to English rugby, and I am certain he will play a crucial role in driving the standards of this England team."
Wigglesworth, who made 33 appearances for England, added: "This is an exciting time for England rugby.
"Steve has created a coaching environment based on collaboration and hard work, and we are constantly evolving and growing and striving for success."
Meanwhile, Joe El-Abd is working as the defensive coach, while Kevin Sinfield has agreed to stay on with the team in a reduced capacity.
England take on New Zealand on November 2 before continuing their other autumn internationals against Australia, South Africa and Japan.
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