Wales suffer series whitewash in OZ

The face of Alex Cuthbert says it all as Wales fail to secure a win in third and final test in Sydney Credit: AP Photo/ Rick Rycroft

Australia 20 - 19 Wales

Wales have not won on Australian soil since 1969 and despite a fiercely fought three match series the Grandslam winning champions were unable to break the deadlock.

After being just 30 seconds away from victory in Melbourne a week ago Wales came out with self belief and brimming with confidence in Sydney but victory was again just short of Wales' grasp today.

Wales went into this game knowing the series had been lost but also knowing a Southern Hemisphere scalp would really seal their reputation as a force within World rugby and once again they were just minutes away from the historic victory.

Despite some impressive play it was indiscipline inside their own half which really cost Wales in this game and in the series as a whole.

Berrick Barnes opened the scoring with a penalty from 30 meters out, in front of the posts but just minutes later Leigh Halfpenny drew the score level.

The first half continued along much the same vein with the boot of the Australian fly-half successfully gaining the 12 points for the home-side and Wales full back Leigh Halfpenny successfully kicking all three penalties to see Wales trailing by just three points at the interval.

The second half saw both teams heap on the pressure but it was Wales who had the opportunity to open the second half scoring.

But for the first time in this 3 test series Halfpenny failed to get the ball successfully between the posts.

With the score still 12 - 9 and after so many penalties Wales decided to change the tempo by opting to take a scrum rather than a kick at goal and were eventually rewarded with the six points.

Ryan Jones, who had taken over the captain's arm band after Sam Warburton was forced off, crossing the line and the conversion by Halfpenny gave Wales a four point advantage.

Immediately the Wallabies hit back with Beale, Ioane and Barnes rampaging into the Wales' half before Rob Horne crossed the line to regain the lead for the home-side.

And just like a pendulum of a clock the lead kept switching and fly-half Leigh Halfpenny once again managed to take Wales 19-17 ahead with just 10 minutes to go.

With last week's so close but yet so far loss hanging over the final moments of this match seemed all too familiar for Wales who were ultimately left to rue being penalised at the breakdown, with Berrick Barnes nailing the decisive kick to give the Wallabies the 3-0 whitewash.