Rugby:Despite Australia losing talisman backs Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale to first-half injuries, they beat Wales 21-18 in their World Cup bronze medal match at Eden Park.
Both Australian players departed inside the opening 20 minutes, Beale with a hamstring and Cooper nursing what appeared a serious knee problem, yet centre Berrick Barnes’ well-worked try, converted by James O’Connor, kept Wales at bay.
Wales managed a James Hook penalty in reply, but they needed a considerable second-half improvement on what had been probably their worst 40 minutes of the competition.
James Hook missed a penalty for Wales early in the second half in what was a difficult game for him. But minutes later a dink through the Australia defence from scrumhalf Mike Phillips sent Hook into space. Hook’s pass wide to Shane Williams was on the ground but impressive soccer skills from the flying winger kept the ball alive and allowed him touch down in the corner for an 8-7 Welsh lead.
Hook missed the conversion and was replaced by Stephen Jones but Wales insisted on giving away cheap penalties with James O’Connor kicking twice from penalties to firstly give Australia a 10-8 lead and then a 13-8 advantage.
Wales went into their final World Cup game knowing that victory over Australia would match a tournament-best finish of third in 1987.
But the beaten semi-finalists were without suspended skipper Sam Warburton, who was sent off against France last weekend, plus injured pair Adam Jones (calf muscle) and Rhys Priestland (shoulder), who was particularly missed.
Barnes, whose rugby career was in the balance after a series of concussions, kept the scoreboard ticking over with a long drop kick on 67 minutes to give Australia an eight point lead.
Jones kicked Wales to 16-11 and took it to a one try match for the final 10 minutes. Then just when it looked like Australia had a match winning try in the bag after a break away, the hand of George North knocked the ball from Ashley Cooper as he was diving over the line.
By then Wales were out on their feet and just minutes later Aussie number 8 Ben McCalman ran in from the back of a ruck for 21-11 and just three minutes remaining. O’Connor missed the conversion but Australia had done enough to secure third place in the competition even after an injury time try from Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny after 32 phases.
