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Sunday, 25 November, 2001, 14:03 GMT
Burke's law rules for Aussies
Wales 13-21 Australia
Seven penalties from Matt Burke helped Australia to a solid, but unspectacular, win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
Burke was on target to give the Wallabies their first win in three games, but battling Wales did claim the only try of the contest.
Australia, coming off the back of two successive defeats, made an uncertain start under the closed roof with Wales making the two best early breaks.
Iestyn Harris and Robert Howley both made good progress to cheer a passionate crowd who had sung the national anthem with gusto.
The first points came in the 10th minute when Australian lock David Giffin was penalised for stamping on Colin Charvis, and Harris kicked the long penalty.
Despite some good scavenging by Charvis and Andy Moore, they failed to take real advantage.
In fact it was Australia who were next on the scoreboard with Burke putting over a 35-metre penalty to level the scores.
Wales were back on the attack soon after, but wasted their chances and Giffin returned to the field.
Aussie wing Ben Tune, who was making his first Test start since the 1999 Rugby World Cup final, almost broke through, but George Gregan knocked on.
From another visiting breakdown, Jamie Robinson kicked through and won Wales a good attacking position.
The drive came to nothing, but Harris then had a chance with a 54-metre penalty.
Despite their domination of possession, Wales' discipline was letting them down and an offside decision against Darren Morris enabled Burke to make it 6-3 eight minutes before the interval.
But Wales were not downhearted and Gareth Thomas, Harris and Robinson combined to set up a good chance eventually stopped by a knock-on.
Their pressure continued right up until the interval, giving the crowd something to cheer about. But a late tackle by Charvis on Gregan enabled Burke to make it 9-3 at the break.
The Wallabies came out firing at the start of the second half and an increase in the tempo saw Burke knock over his fourth penalty of the afternoon.
Their first incursion into the Aussies' half led to a missed penalty by Harris before Chris Wyatt replaced Ian Gough in the second row.
Another visitors' attack saw Burke waste a chance to make it a 12-point gap, and George Smith came on to replace Phil Waugh.
Smith was soon in the action, forcing Scott Quinnell to give away a penalty and Burke made it 15-3.
Wales were suffering from a lack of possession, but when Rhys Williams did make a break they earned a penalty which Harris put over.
But referee Steve Lander had already blown for a Wallabies knock-on and disallowed the score.
The visitors did extend their lead through two more Burke penalties, and Wales's defence was frequently penalised.
Referee Lander warned skipper Quinnell that the next Welsh offender would go to the sin-bin, and replacement Duncan Jones almost went there for a late tackle.
The frustration of both sides boiled over in the final minutes with Andy Moore and replacement Justin Harrison yellow-carded after a bout of fisticuffs.
In the last minute Wales finally showed what they could do with some possession as a quick Howley penalty saw replacement Gavin Thomas scramble over for Harris to convert.
But the defeat meant that Graham Henry's side still hasn't beaten Australia on home soil since 1981.
Wales: Try: Gavin Thomas. Con: I Harris. Pens: I Harris (2).
Australia: Pens: M Burke (7).
Wales: K Morgan (Swansea); W Proctor (Llanelli), J Robinson (Cardiff), I Harris (Cardiff), G Thomas (Bridgend); S Jones (Llanelli), R Howley (Cardiff); S John (Cardiff), R McBryde (Llanelli), D Morris (Swansea), I Gough (Newport), A Moore (Swansea), C Charvis (Swansea), B Sinkinson (Neath), S Quinnell (Llanelli, capt).
Australia: M Burke (NSW); B Tune (Queensland), G Bond (ACT), E Flatley (Queensland), J Roff (Biarritz); S Larkham (ACT), G Gregan (ACT, capt); N Stiles (Queensland), M Foley (Queensland), B Darwin (ACT), M Cockbain (Queensland); D Giffin (ACT), O Finegan (ACT), P Waugh (NSW), T Kefu (Queensland).
Referee: Steve Lander (England).
BBC Wales ScrumV
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