They may have won the Six Nations on three occasions and reached a World Cup semi-final in the past five years, but that is how long it has been since Wales claimed a southern hemisphere scalp.
This was their 17th successive defeat to the original Tri Nations teams and given the presence of 11 British Lions in the starting line-up, fans will wonder when the losing run will end.
Five penalties by Leigh Halfpenny kept a gutsy Wales in this game for an hour. But Jean De Villiers, Bismarck Du Plessis and Fourie Du Preez scored to demonstrate the stark difference between the teams.
Two things were virtually guaranteed at the Millennium Stadium – concerns over the pitch and a chorus of boos before kick-off for referee Alain Rolland.
This was the first time the Irish official had taken charge of Sam Warburton since they are infamous encounter in a World Cup semi-final two years ago, when Rolland gave the Wales captain his marching orders.
And it took just 20 minutes before they were reunited as Rolland warned Warburton over his team’s indiscipline, by which time Wales were facing a mountain.
Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_57956_1,00.html
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