Wales look for ray of hope in Australia's 'Sunshine State'

Another Wales season will finally finish in Brisbane on Friday.

There have been plenty of dark days over the last 12 months, but Warren Gatland's side are looking for one final ray of hope in Australia's 'Sunshine State'.

The international campaign was completed last weekend with a 36-28 loss against the Wallabies, which wrapped up a 2-0 series win for Joe Schmidt's men.

Instead of heading off on their holidays, Wales have one more date with this uncapped fixture against the Queensland Reds.

Just like in Melbourne last week, Wales' rugby team visiting this major Australian city is not the main sporting event on show.

In Victoria's capital, it was an Australian Rules regular club match that attracted 73,000 fans, compared to 20,000 at Wales' second Test defeat.

In Brisbane, rugby league fever has dominated this week with New South Wales defeating hosts Queensland in the State of Origin decider on Wednesday night.

The Wales squad witnessed first hand more than 50,000 passionate fans packed into the Suncorp Stadium for a spectacular occasion described by some as 'Australia's Superbowl'.

A Welsh-qualified performer provided the crucial moment with centre Bradman Best, whose grandmother is from Wales although he does not know where exactly, powering over for a vital try.

Wales will be back at the same venue 48 hours later when they are the major players and not just interested observers, with Queensland's best Tom Jones impersonator providing the half-time entertainment.

So it is just one more game and the Welsh players will be able return to the green grass of home.

It is unusual for a summer tour to finish with a friendly against a state side following a two-Test series.

England and Ireland have travelled home after their exploits in New Zealand and South Africa.

So people might wonder why Wales' players are in action for an extra week following a long season, which started 13 months ago for some.

Wales had been hoping to arrange an extra international but that did not transpire, with this match arranged instead.

It will be the first time Queensland Reds have hosted Wales since their 35-24 victory in 1991 and 20 years since the Super Rugby outfit defeated Scotland.

Gatland has welcomed the fixture as he tries to continue to expose his young side to new experiences.

He believes the Reds have embraced the occasion with the hope of a crowd of more than 20,000.

"They seem excited about the fixture," said Gatland.

"They were hoping they'd get a big crowd, one of the biggest in a number of years."

Wales have endured some misery in uncapped tour games over the years.

There was the 71-8 thrashing against New South Wales in 1991 when David Campese scored five tries, while Gatland suffered a 40-7 defeat at the hands of Waikato Chiefs in his home town of Hamilton in 2016.

On that occasion, Gatland fielded a second-string side and that has been repeated eight years later with players selected who were not involved in the 2-0 series defeat against Australia.

Only Cameron Winnett, Rio Dyer, Archie Griffin, Christ Tshiunza and Taine Plumtree survive from the starting side in Melbourne last weekend, while Regan Grace, Kemsley Mathias, Evan Lloyd, Mackenzie Martin and Eddie James start in the red jersey for the first time.

"If I go back to the 2016 game, we gave a lot of young players an opportunity," said Gatland.

"It was a huge step-up for them in pace and intensity, we created a lot but didn't finish those opportunities.

"One of the things we spoke about before we left Wales this time was we wanted everyone to get the opportunity to get game time.

"It's a long way to come and not get any rugby."

Anybody hoping for a quiet week in Welsh rugby has been disappointed after Gatland controversially selected lock Cory Hill as his captain.

The 32-year-old was named among a group of individuals that damaged a woman's house in May 2021.

Hill was not charged by police and he apologised at the time through a representative.

Addressing the incident publicly this week for the first time, Hill says he regrets what happened and again apologised.

Hill ended more than three years out of international rugby by making two replacements appearances in the Test series.

His elevation to the captain's role has resulted in negative reaction on social media.

The other contentious issue is Hill is playing for a Japan club side that gained promotion from the country's fourth tier last season.

So off the field, Hill will have to prove he is worthy of the honour of the Welsh captaincy.

On the field, he needs to demonstrate he can make the transition from lower league Japanese rugby to starting for an international side.

In 2001 in Brisbane, a convert from rugby league wearing a red number 11 jersey announced himself on the union stage with a starring performance for the British and Irish Lions in the first Test victory over Australia at the Gabba.

Comparing Jason Robinson to Wales' newest recruit Regan Grace is the sort of hype Gatland this week says he was trying to avoid.

Grace will be involved in just his third game of senior rugby union, although he did grow up playing union in Port Talbot.

The 27-year-old scored 89 tries for St Helens during a league career that included three Grand Final successes and represented Wales.

He switched codes in 2022 but ruptured his Achilles tendon before joining French Top 14 club Racing 92, and did not play for the Parisians after suffering an injury relapse six months later.

Grace linked up with Bath to continue his rehabilitation and played in friendlies earlier this year against Leinster and Gloucester as he returned to full fitness.

He was called up to the Wales training squad just before the departure to Australia, and after being held back from the Test series, Grace now has his chance to impress.

This game might not be a Test match but Wales desperately need a win of any kind.

Gatland's last victory was achieved in another uncapped match against the Barbarians in November 2023.

Wales have not won an international since last October when they beat Georgia in the World Cup.

Wales have since lost nine Tests and have slumped to 11th in the world rankings.

A record-equalling 10th international defeat could follow against Fiji in Cardiff in November.

This young Wales side will just be desperate to finish this seemingly never-ending campaign with a rare success. Of any kind.