History of rugby union matches between Australia and Wales
Since 1908 Australia and Wales have competed against each other in rugby union in 40 matches, Australia having won 29, Wales 10, with 1 draw. Since 2007 the teams have competed for the James Bevan Trophy, which was created to celebrate 100 years of rugby between the two nations.
Summary
Overview
| Details | Played | Won by Australia |
Won by Wales |
Drawn | Australia points | Wales points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Australia | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 376 | 172 |
| In Wales | 25 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 525 | 398 |
| Neutral venue | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 46 |
| Overall | 40 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 944 | 604 |
Records
Note: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was or last set.
| Record | Australia | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Longest winning streak | 12 (28 Nov 2009–Present) | 3 (21 Jun 1969–11 Jun 1978) |
| Largest points for | ||
| Home | 63 (22 July 1991) | 29 (4 November 2006) |
| Away | 38 (12 October 1991) | 25 (9 June 1996) |
| Largest winning margin | ||
| Home | 57 (22 July 1991) | 25 (20 December 1975) |
| Away | 35 (12 October 1991) | 3 (21 June 1969) |
History
In the first 70 years Wales won 6 of the 8 matches. Over the next 10 years it was fairly even, but since the first World Cup in 1987, Australia has dominated by 24 wins to 2. The 2006 match ended in the second highest scoring draw of all time, 29–29.
Australia snatched victory in the inaugural James Bevan Trophy, test match 29–23 with a last minute try on Saturday 26 May 2007 at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney. They followed this up with a whitewash 31–0 victory at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Wales captured the trophy the following year in 2008 with a 21–18 victory in Cardiff, but since then it has remained in Australian hands with 12 consecutive wins. Three victories in Cardiff in 2009–11 were followed up by a 3–0 series win in Australia in 2012, all by narrow margins. In the return match at Cardiff, Australia once again won with a last minute try.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup brought Australia and Wales together again for another third place play-off, and once again it was a close finish, with Australia claiming third place in a reversal of the first World Cup in 1987, when Wales won the play-off 22–21.