Australia brushed aside the challenge of Wales to triumph 32-8 in Cardiff, writes MARK KEOHANE.
The Wallabies led 20-3 at halftime and scored five tries to one.
Australia, who looked like chumps in the Rugby Championship, were made to look like champs.
Wales were awful and the Wallabies, following the horrors of three massive Test defeats against the All Blacks, would have welcomed the one-way show in Cardiff.
Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley was the star of the show and he played more like a magician than a maverick.
Foley’s Wallabies pack provided the front-foot ball for most of the contest and the Waratahs No 10 flourished.
The Wallabies, in the opening half an hour, played as if unopposed among their backs. Their skill level was described (by those calling the game) as breathtaking as they scored the first three of five tries.
But the lack of opposition has to give the attack perspective. This is after all a Wallabies team that scored two tries in three matches against the All Blacks and conceded 18.
It was a case of Wallabies attack against passive Welsh defence and the hosts were simply not there for the occasion.
Recent matches between the two sides have been a one-score contest but this was never a contest – hence the five tries to one and 24 points differential.
Wales – Try: Scott Williams. Penalty: Leigh Halfpenny.
Wallabies – Tries: Reece Hodge, Stephen Moore, Tevita Kuridrani, Bernard Foley, Dane Haylett-Petty. Conversions: Foley (2) Penalty: Foley.
Wales – 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Luke Charteris, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Samson Le, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gethin Jenkins (c).
Subs: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Cory Hill, 20 James King, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Sam Davies, 23 Hallam Amos.
Wallabies – 15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Lopeti Timani, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 David Pocock, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (c), 1 Scott Sio.
Subs: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Scott Fardy, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Quade Cooper, 23 Sefu Naivalu.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
