Match Facts

Australia won 13 straight games against Wales between 2009 and 2017 but since then Wales have had the edge, winning four of seven subsequent meetings (L3).

Wales lost both of their fixtures against Australia this summer, their first tour down under since 2012, they’ve not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 1969, however they have won two of their last three against them in Cardiff.

Wales have lost all nine of their Test matches played in 2024, already their joint-most in a non-World Cup year, alongside 2010 and 2022, while they have lost each of their last 10 overall, their joint-longest such run alongside another 10-game stretch from 2002-2003, however, each of their last three losses have come by margins of fewer than 10 points.

This will be the 12th time that Warren Gatland and Joe Schmidt have faced off against one another as head coaches in men’s Test rugby – only Graham Henry and Robbie Deans (15) and Michael Cheika and Steve Hansen (14) have faced each other more often in matches between two Tier 1 nations, with the record currently standing at three wins for Gatland and seven for Schmidt, alongside one draw.

Australia scored 42 points against England last week (42-37), their most against a European team in Europe since scoring 50 against Italy in November 2013 (50-20) – the Wallabies scored five tries in that game, their most against a Six Nations side since June 2017 (6 v Italy).

Australia were the only team to convert 90%+ of their place-kick attempts in The Rugby Championship this year (91%, 21/23), while Wales were one of two teams to slot 90%+ of their attempts in the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations (92%, 11/12, also Scotland).

Wales were one of three teams to win 100% of their own lineouts in the most recent round of Autumn Nations Series fixtures (18/18) and also gained more maul metres than any other team last weekend (37).

Australia made five turnover-winning tackles against England last weekend, the joint-most of any team in the most recent round of Autumn Nations Series fixtures (also Ireland); the Wallabies also won more tackle turnovers than any other side in The Rugby Championship this year (17).

Tommy Reffell has won an average of 1.7 turnovers per 80 minutes played for Wales in 2024, the highest rate among the 166 players to have featured in 320 minutes of men’s Tier 1 rugby this year – the back-row has won at least one turnover in six of his eight Tests played this year, however, the two he didn’t win any in were both against Australia.

Australia’s Angus Bell beat nine defenders against England last weekend, the most by any prop in a men’s Tier 1 match since Opta have recorded this data and the most by any Wallaby in a Test match since Marika Koroibete beat 11 against Georgia in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.