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In June 2012, Wales toured Australia as part of the 2012 mid-year rugby test series. They faced Australia in a series of three internationals across the eastern states, starting at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, then moving on to Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, before finishing in Sydney at the Sydney Football Stadium. In addition, they played a tour match against one of Australia's domestic clubs, the Brumbies, at Canberra Stadium.
| 2012 Wales rugby union tour of Australia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach(es) | Rob Howley | ||||
| Tour captain(s) | Sam Warburton | ||||
| Top point scorer(s) | Leigh Halfpenny (41) | ||||
| Top try scorer(s) | 10 players with 1 try | ||||
| Top test point scorer(s) | Leigh Halfpenny (41) | ||||
| Top test try scorer(s) | 7 players with 1 try | ||||
| Summary |
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| Total |
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| Test match |
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| Opponent |
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 Australia |
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| Barbarians |
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| Tour chronology | |||||
| Next tour | Japan 2013 | ||||
Before flying to Australia, Wales also held a one-off match at home so that Rob Howley, the caretaker coach, could finalise the squad. This was held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff against the Barbarians.
During this tour, Wales were attempting to regain the James Bevan Trophy they lost in 2009, when Australia beat them 33–12 in Cardiff. They had won it the previous year, 21–18. However, the last time Wales beat Australia in Australia was in 1969, when they won 19–16.
This tour was the most keenly anticipated rugby tour of the 2012 tours, with Wales going into it as Grand Slam winners of the 2012 Six Nations and Australia as winners of the 2011 Tri Nations.
Wales lost the series 3–0, continuing their history of not having won in Australia for 43 years. However, all matches were close encounters, and they scored 61 points to Australia's 72. They also played a return match in Cardiff in the 2012 Autumn Internationals that ended in a similar narrow defeat, 14–12.
In the last three matches between the two teams, Wales led with five minutes to go and Australia snatched victory from them.
Fixtures edit
| Date | Venue | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 June 2012 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |  Wales
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30–21 | Barbarians |
| 9 June 2012 | Lang Park, Brisbane | Australia
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27–19 | Wales
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| 12 June 2012 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra | ACT Brumbies
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15–25 | Wales
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| 16 June 2012 | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | Australia
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25–23 | Wales
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| 23 June 2012 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | Australia
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20–19 | Wales
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Squads edit
Wales edit
Towards the end of May, the bulk of the Welsh squad left for Australia, leaving a handful of players to face the Barbarians. After Wales' win over the Barbarians, the few players who had earned their place in the squad during the game left for Australia to join up with the team. Caretaker coach Rob Howley announced a 35-man squad to take to Australia.
- Caretaker coach:
Rob Howley
Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Hibbard | Hooker | 13 December 1983 (aged 28) | 16 | Ospreys
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| Ken Owens | Hooker | 3 January 1987 (aged 25) | 5 | Scarlets
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| Matthew Rees | Hooker | 9 December 1980 (aged 31) | 51 | Scarlets
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| Rhys Gill | Prop | 30 October 1986 (aged 25) | 3 |  Saracens
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| Paul James | Prop | 13 May 1982 (aged 30) | 35 | Ospreys
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| Gethin Jenkins | Prop | 17 November 1980 (aged 31) | 87 | Cardiff Blues
|
| Adam Jones | Prop | 8 March 1981 (aged 31) | 80 | Ospreys
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| Rhodri Jones | Prop | 23 December 1991 (aged 20) | 1 | Scarlets
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| Luke Charteris | Lock | 9 March 1983 (aged 29) | 34 | Newport Gwent Dragons
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| Bradley Davies | Lock | 9 January 1987 (aged 25) | 33 | Cardiff Blues
|
| Ian Evans | Lock | 4 October 1984 (aged 27) | 23 | Ospreys
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| Alun Wyn Jones | Lock | 19 September 1985 (aged 26) | 63 | Ospreys
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| Dan Lydiate | Flanker | 18 December 1987 (aged 24) | 24 | Newport Gwent Dragons
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| Aaron Shingler | Flanker | 7 August 1987 (aged 24) | 2 | Scarlets
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| Justin Tipuric | Flanker | 6 August 1989 (aged 22) | 5 | Ospreys
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| Josh Turnbull | Flanker | 12 March 1988 (aged 24) | 4 | Scarlets
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| Sam Warburton (c) | Flanker | 5 October 1988 (aged 23) | 27 | Cardiff Blues
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| Gareth Delve | Number 8 | 30 December 1982 (aged 29) | 11 | Melbourne Rebels
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| Taulupe Faletau | Number 8 | 12 November 1990 (aged 21) | 16 | Newport Gwent Dragons
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| Ryan Jones | Number 8 | 13 March 1981 (aged 31) | 64 | Ospreys
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| Mike Phillips | Scrum-half | 29 August 1982 (aged 29) | 65 |  Bayonne
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| Rhys Webb | Scrum-half | 9 December 1988 (aged 23) | 2 | Ospreys
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| Lloyd Williams | Scrum-half | 30 November 1989 (aged 22) | 8 | Cardiff Blues
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| James Hook | Fly-half | 27 June 1985 (aged 26) | 63 | Perpignan
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| Rhys Priestland | Fly-half | 9 January 1987 (aged 25) | 15 | Scarlets
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| Ashley Beck | Centre | 15 April 1990 (aged 22) | 0 | Ospreys
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| Andrew Bishop | Centre | 7 August 1985 (aged 26) | 16 | Ospreys
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| Jonathan Davies | Centre | 5 April 1988 (aged 24) | 26 | Scarlets
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| Scott Williams | Centre | 10 October 1990 (aged 21) | 12 | Scarlets
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| Aled Brew | Wing | 9 August 1986 (aged 25) | 9 | Newport Gwent Dragons
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| Alex Cuthbert | Wing | 5 April 1990 (aged 22) | 6 | Cardiff Blues
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| George North | Wing | 13 April 1992 (aged 20) | 21 | Scarlets
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| Harry Robinson | Wing | 16 April 1993 (aged 19) | 1 | Cardiff Blues
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| Leigh Halfpenny | Fullback | 22 December 1988 (aged 23) | 32 | Cardiff Blues
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| Liam Williams | Fullback | 9 April 1991 (aged 21) | 1 | Scarlets
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Australia edit
Robbie Deans announced his squad to face Wales at the beginning of June. The public already knew that James O'Connor, Kurtley Beale and usual captain James Horwill would all be out of the tour due to injury. From this, Robbie Deans was able to announce his 40-man squad. On 19 June, it was revealed that Beale would return for the third and final test against Wales.
Head coach: 
Robbie Deans
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saia Fainga'a | Hooker | 2 February 1987 (aged 25) | 16 | Reds |
| Stephen Moore | Hooker | 20 January 1983 (aged 29) | 69 | Brumbies |
| Tatafu Polota-Nau | Hooker | 26 July 1985 (aged 26) | 34 | Waratahs |
| Ben Alexander | Prop | 13 November 1984 (aged 27) | 39 | Brumbies |
| Sekope Kepu | Prop | 5 February 1986 (aged 26) | 16 | Western Force |
| Salesi Ma'afu | Prop | 26 March 1983 (aged 29) | 14 | Western Force |
| Dan Palmer | Prop | 13 September 1988 (aged 23) | 1 | Brumbies |
| Benn Robinson | Prop | 19 July 1984 (aged 27) | 44 | Waratahs |
| James Slipper | Prop | 6 June 1989 (aged 23) | 23 | Reds |
| Kane Douglas | Lock | 1 June 1989 (aged 23) | 0 | Waratahs |
| Cadeyrn Neville | Lock | 9 November 1988 (aged 23) | 0 | Melbourne Rebels |
| Hugh Pyle | Lock | 21 September 1988 (aged 23) | 0 | Melbourne Rebels |
| Nathan Sharpe | Lock | 26 February 1978 (aged 34) | 104 | Western Force |
| Rob Simmons | Lock | 19 April 1989 (aged 23) | 19 | Reds |
| Sitaleki Timani | Lock | 19 September 1986 (aged 25) | 2 | Waratahs |
| Dave Dennis | Flanker | 10 January 1986 (aged 26) | 3 | Waratahs |
| Scott Higginbotham | Flanker | 5 September 1986 (aged 25) | 14 | Reds |
| Michael Hooper | Flanker | 24 March 1990 (aged 22) | 2 | Brumbies |
| David Pocock (c) | Flanker | 23 April 1988 (aged 24) | 43 | Western Force |
| Ben McCalman | Number 8 | 18 March 1988 (aged 24) | 21 | Western Force |
| Ben Mowen | Number 8 | 1 December 1984 (aged 27) | 0 | Brumbies |
| Wycliff Palu | Number 8 | 27 July 1982 (aged 29) | 40 | Waratahs |
| Will Genia | Scrum-half | 17 January 1988 (aged 24) | 37 | Reds |
| Nick Phipps | Scrum-half | 9 January 1989 (aged 23) | 3 | Melbourne Rebels |
| Nic White | Scrum-half | 13 June 1990 (aged 21) | 0 | Brumbies |
| Berrick Barnes | Fly-half | 28 May 1986 (aged 26) | 40 | Waratahs |
| Quade Cooper | Fly-half | 5 April 1988 (aged 24) | 35 | Queensland Reds |
| Bernard Foley | Fly-half | 8 September 1989 (aged 22) | 0 | Waratahs |
| Anthony Fainga'a | Centre | 2 February 1987 (aged 25) | 17 | Reds |
| Mike Harris | Centre | 8 July 1988 (aged 23) | 2 | Reds |
| Rob Horne | Centre | 15 August 1989 (aged 22) | 11 | Waratahs |
| Pat McCabe | Centre | 21 March 1988 (aged 24) | 13 | Brumbies |
| Digby Ioane | Wing | 14 July 1985 (aged 26) | 24 | Reds |
| Dom Shipperley | Wing | 16 October 1991 (aged 20) | 0 | Reds |
| Joe Tomane | Wing | 2 February 1990 (aged 22) | 1 | Brumbies |
| Cooper Vuna | Wing | 5 July 1987 (aged 24) | 2 | Melbourne Rebels |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper | Fullback | 27 March 1984 (aged 28) | 66 | Waratahs |
| Kurtley Beale | Fullback | 6 January 1989 (aged 23) | 24 | Melbourne Rebels |
| Jesse Mogg | Fullback | 8 June 1989 (aged 23) | 0 | Brumbies |
| Luke Morahan | Fullback | 28 August 1991 (aged 20) | 1 | Reds |
Warm-up matches edit
Wales vs Barbarians edit
| 2 June 2012 14:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Wales | 30–21 | Barbarians |
| Try: Robinson 10' c Hook 71' c Brew 79' c Con: Hook (3/3) 11', 72', 80' Pen: Hook (3/3) 4', 25', 51' | Report[1] | Try: Donald (2) 27' c, 59' c Rees 36' c Con: Donald (3/3) 28', 37', 60' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 57,565 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
- The Welsh Rugby Union announced that this would be a fully capped match.[2] As a result, Martyn Williams became the third Welsh player to reach 100 caps when he came off the bench. It was also announced that this match would see the last international appearances for Martyn Williams and Wales top try-scorer Shane Williams.
- Four players made their full international debuts for Wales: Rhodri Jones, Harry Robinson, Liam Williams and Adam Warren.
ACT Brumbies vs Wales edit
| 12 June 2012 19:30 AEST (UTC+10) |
| ACT Brumbies | 15–25 | Wales |
| Pen: Holmes (5/6) 10', 38', 56', 62', 66' | Report[3] | Try: Hook 19' c Tipuric 31' c A.W. Jones 40' m Con: Hook (2/3) 20', 32' Pen: Hook (2/2) 69', 76' |
| Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Ian Smith (Australia) |
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Touch judges:
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Test matches edit
First test edit
| 9 June 2012 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
| Australia | 27–19 | Wales |
| Try: Higginbotham 14' c Genia 40' c McCabe 66' c Con: Barnes (3/3) 15', 42', 67' Pen: Barnes (1/3) 8' Drop: Barnes (1/1) 49' | Report[4] | Try: Cuthbert 57' c Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 59' Pen: Halfpenny (4/4) 21', 45', 55', 62' |
| Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 43,000 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Touch judges:
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Notes
- Cooper Vuna (Australia) and Ashley Beck (Wales) made their international debuts.
Second test edit
| 16 June 2012 20:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
| Australia | 25–23 | Wales |
| Try: Horne 38' c Con: Barnes (1/1) 39' Pen: Barnes (5/6) 19', 29', 47', 58', 64' Harris (1/1) 80' | Report[5] | Try: North 4' c Davies 43' c Con: Halfpenny (2/2) 3', 44' Pen: Halfpenny (3/3) 49', 60', 66' |
| Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 33,880 Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand) |
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Touch judges:
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Third test edit
| 23 June 2012 15:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
| Australia | 20–19 | Wales |
| Try: Horne 64' m Pen: Barnes (5/5) 3', 9', 16', 38', 74' | Report[6] | Try: R. Jones 60' c Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 61' Pen: Halfpenny (4/5) 7', 13', 24', 70' |
| Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 42,889 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Wales 30-21 Barbarians". BBC. 2 June 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ Gillespie, Graeme (8 May 2012). "Williams Set to Reach 100 Caps". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ "Planet Rugby - Reports and Previews - Wales hang on in Canberra". 6 January 2014. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Planet Rugby | Reports and Previews | Australia bounce back in Brisbane". planetrugby.com. 9 June 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Planet Rugby | Reports and Previews | Harris wins it for Wallabies". planetrugby.com. 16 June 2012. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012.
- ^ "Planet Rugby | Rugby Union News, Live Rugby Scores, Results & Fixtures | LIVE: Australia v Wales". planetrugby.com. 23 June 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012.