Autumn internationals: Wales v Australia AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS: Wales v ...

Wales are bidding to end an eight-match losing streak against Australia in the final Test of the autumn series.

The last time they beat the Wallabies was in

November 2008,

with the past three meetings have gone Australia’s way by two points or fewer.

One positive for Warren Gatland and his players is that 11 of Saturday’s squad were involved in the

Lions’ 2013 tour success

against the Wallabies.

Ewen McKenzie’s Australia have won

three of their four Tests

this autumn.

Saturday’s match brings together two of the best full-backs in the world in Leigh Halfpenny and Israel Folau, with the former recently named as one of

three nominees for the players’ player of the year award.

Winger George North has been given permission by club side Northampton

to play for Wales

despite the Test falling outside the international window.

For the tourists, stand-off Quade Cooper, one of the success stories of the series for McKenzie, wins his 50th cap.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Wales have won 10 of their 36 meetings against Australia, losing 25 and drawing once.
  


• Since winning in Warren Gatland’s first Test against Australia as coach in 2008, Wales have lost the past eight encounters (five under Gatland, three under caretaker coach Rob Howley).
  


• Australia’s biggest win against Wales is 63-6 in July 1991, while their biggest defeat in this fixture is 28-3 in December 1975.
  


• Wales have kept Australia pointless on two occasions – 6-0 in Cardiff in December 1947 and 24-0 in November 1973. Wales have only failed to score once – a 31-0 defeat in June 2007.
  


• Gatland’s Wales have lost their past three games against Australia by two points or fewer.
  

Wales

• Wales ended a four-year wait for an autumn international win with a 40-6 success against Argentina a fortnight ago and have won their past three Tests.
  


• They need to score 26 points to overhaul England as the most prolific major northern hemisphere side in 2013 – Stuart Lancaster’s side scored 250 points in 10 matches.
  


• Gethin Jenkins will make his 13th appearance against Australia – he has already played more games against them than any other Welsh player.
  


• Sam Warburton will win his 23rd cap as captain of Wales, a landmark which will take him beyond Colin Charvis and Rob Howley into third place in the all-time list.
  


• There were a record-equalling 10 Welshmen in the British Irish Lions side for the decisive third Test against Australia in July. Fifteen Welsh players were in the Lions squad, 13 of whom featured in the Test series.
  

Australia

• Australia have won three Tests in a row for the first time in 2013, beating Italy, Ireland and Scotland. A fourth successive victory would be their best run since July 2008.
  


• The Wallabies have gone two games without conceding a try for the first time since September 2011. The last time Australia went three games without conceding a try was June 2010.
  


• Israel Folau is two tries away from overhauling Lote Tuqiri’s record of 10 tries scored for Australia in a calendar year.
  


• Ewen McKenzie’s side have recorded their lowest win percentage in a calendar year (42.85%) since 2005 (38.46%).
  


• Quade Cooper will become the 40th Wallaby to win his 50th cap.
  

TEAM NEWS LINE-UPS

Gatland has made 10 changes from the side that beat Tonga, fielding seven of the Lions line-up that beat the Australians in the third and final Test in July.

McKenzie has restored five of the six players suspended last week for off-the-field indiscretions to his match-day squad, although only two are in the starting 15.

Wales


: Halfpenny; Cuthbert, O. Williams, S. Williams, North; Biggar, Phillips; Jenkins, Hibbard, Rhodri Jones, AW. Jones, Evans, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau.

Replacements:

Owens, Bevington, Lee, Ryan Jones, Tipuric, R. Williams, Priestland, L. Williams.

Australia


: Folau; Tomane, Ashley-Cooper, Leali’ifano, Cummins; Cooper, Genia; Slipper, Moore, Kepu, Simmons, Horwill, Fardy, Hooper, Mowen.

Replacements:

Polota-Nau, Robinson, Alexander, Douglas, Dennis, White, Harris, Foley.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee


: Wayne Barnes (England)

Touch judges


: Alain Rolland (France) and John Lacey (Ireland)

TV


: Jim Yuille (England)

Article source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/26/rugby-ireland-best-idUKL4N0JB2OG20131126

Autumn internationals: Wales v Australia AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS: Wales v ...