Wales aim to end 55 years of hurt in Australia

Wales have arrived in Australia looking to banish 55 years of hurt.

Warren Gatland's side face the Wallabies over two Tests, beginning on 6 July in Sydney, and then a week later in Melbourne, before ending the tour against Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

The last time the Welsh men's national senior side defeated the Wallabies in Australia, Harold Wilson was prime minister, the Beatles were number one in the charts with 'The Ballad of John and Yoko', and it was to be another month before Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.

So while Gatland's side have lost their last seven Test matches, Wales' long-term woes in Australia stretch back more than half a century.

It was 21 June, 1969 when Wales last beat the Wallabies in Australia with a 19-16 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

It was a Welsh team captained by Brian Price that included legends such as JPR Williams, John Dawes, Gerald Davies, Barry John, Sir Gareth Edwards, Delme Thomas and Mervyn Davies.

That was Wales' first away Test in Australia and remains the only win in 12 attempts.

Since then they have suffered 11 defeats, with some of the losses ranking among the darkest days in Welsh rugby history.

Dawes, Ron Waldron, Kevin Bowring, Steve Hansen and Gareth Jenkins are some of the Wales coaches who have tried and failed to crack touring Australia.

Gatland will hope to buck the trend in the coming weeks.

Wales' 1978 tour to Australia was tight, but the visitors were not the same without the absent Edwards and Phil Bennett as they lost in Brisbane and Sydney.

Bad feeling in the second Test spilt over when Graham Price's jaw was broken by a punch from behind by Steve Finnane.

There was a 13-year gap before the disastrous tour of 1991 which damaged Welsh rugby both on and off the field.

Amid squad unrest and infighting, Wales were thrashed 71-8 by New South Wales and then 63-6 in the Brisbane Test.

Worse was to follow at the official post-match dinner where knives, plates and food were reportedly thrown across the room while centre Mike Hall required stitches in his hand having being cut by glass separating the warring Neath and Llanelli factions.

A Queensland official described it as "the most disgraceful scene I've witnessed from a group of players".

Coach Waldron quit on the grounds of ill-health after the tour, while captain Paul Thorburn retired with immediate effect.

Another testing tour in 1996 saw Wales battered 56-25 in Brisbane and humbled 42-3 in Sydney under the guidance of Bowring.

Rugby league convert Wendell Sailor produced a devastating early two-try burst as Australia beat Wales 30-10 in Sydney in 2003.

Wales started to be more competitive, and four years later a try with the last move of the match from replacement Stephen Hoiles denied Wales the first Test victory in Sydney.

The 2007 tourists stormed into an early 17-0 lead with tries from Jamie Robinson and captain Gareth Thomas, who was winning a then-record 93rd cap.

But lineout problems helped Australia hit back, with tries from Wycliff Palu, Nathan Sharpe and Matt Giteau making it 22-20.

James Hook's late drop-goal looked to have won it for Wales, but a final all-out attack saw Hoiles score in the corner.

Wales were then humbled in Brisbane as Australia won 31-0 in a game remembered for a horror injury suffered by Cardiff wing Chris Czekaj.

Wales arrived in Australia in 2012 as Grand Slam champions after winning the Six Nations title in March of that year.

A month later Gatland suffered a freak accident at his beach house in New Zealand when he fell off a ladder cleaning his windows, requiring surgery after breaking both heels.

It was an injury that forced him to hand over the reins to assistant Rob Howley to initially take charge of Wales' three-Test tour.

Gatland joined the squad for the final two games, a year before he would lead the British and Irish Lions to series success in Australia.

Wales lost the series 3-0 but they were all close encounters, with only 11 points separating the two sides in the three Tests.

In the last two internationals, Wales led late on before Australia snatched victory on both occasions, with Mike Harris and Berrick Barnes slotting over late kicks in successive matches.

Wales players do have recent experience of success in Australia and against the Wallabies.

Gatland's side eventually ended a run of 13 consecutive defeats against Australia in November 2018 by winning 9-6 in Cardiff.

Wales have since defeated Australia in the last two World Cups, including the record 40-6 victory in Lyon in October 2023.

The national side have also won World Cup matches in Australia against other opposition in 1987 and 2003.

Wales also beat the Wallabies in a World Cup third place play-off match 37 years ago but that took place in the New Zealand city of Rotorua.

And there were 10 Welsh starters when the Lions defeated Australia in the series decider in Sydney in 2013.

It is just that Welsh victory against a team playing in green and gold on Australian soil that has remained elusive since 1969.

Two years ago Wayne Pivac oversaw a first men's win against the Springboks in South Africa with a second Test win in Bloemfontein.

Fellow New Zealander Gatland will be aiming for something similar down under.