Wales Stun Australia with Last-Minute Try

Wales secured a dramatic 29-24 victory over Australia, their first win against the Wallaroos in seven meetings, thanks to a last-minute try by Kate Williams at Rodney Parade. In a thrilling contest, the game was tied 24-24 before Williams crashed over the line from close range, sealing a memorable win. Both teams exchanged tries in a closely fought first half. Maya Stewart opened the scoring for Australia while Keira Bevan quickly responded for Wales.

Molly Reardon added two tries for Wales with Caitlyn Halse and Tabua Tuinakauvadra crossing the line for Australia to keep the match tightly contested. A powerful driving maul from Wales in the final moments proved decisive, handing Williams the winning try. Wales’ head coach Ioan Cunningham praised his team’s resilience, highlighting their patience and maturity, especially in the second half.

“We never lost faith, stuck to our systems and showed composure when it mattered,” Cunningham said, crediting the team’s defensive efforts and effective lineout. Australia’s head coach Jo Yapp commended her players’ work ethic but acknowledged they had some lessons to learn. “We worked hard, but we need to be more rugby smart in key areas,” she said.

Wales will take confidence from this performance as they face Australia again in their WXV2 opener in Cape Town next week. The win also boosts their morale after a previous heavy defeat to Scotland in a friendly.