By Jake Harvey - Welsh Correspondent

Bradley Davies (Getty)

Wales were again denied their first Test win against Australia down under for 43 years as the last kick of the game clinched a lucky 25-23 win for the Wallabies.

Wales got off to the best possible start when 20 year old winger George North went over the line after picking the ball from the base of the ruck a few metres out to score a try in the 4th minute. The Welsh held on to the lead until the 39th minute when Ozzie Fly-Half Berrick Barnes broke through to set up a try for Rob Horne so the Wallabies could go in at half time as the leading side.

Jonathan Davies successfully caught up with the ball after it was kicked down field by centre Ashley Beck and dived over for a try which put Wales back into the lead. Barnes continued to kick penalties for the Wallabies with Welsh Full-Back Leigh Halfpenny also on fine kicking form.

Wales led 23-22 with just a few minutes left to be played until the 79th minute when Australia were given a controversial penalty just outside the Welsh 22 metre line. Mike Harris who had replaced Barnes just moments before stepped up to take the vital kick for the Wallabies and chipped it over the posts with great ease to secure Australia a 25-23 victory which means they have so far won 2/2 tests against the Welsh in this summer tour.

Rob Howley’s men didn’t take the loss well as you could tell by the looks on their devastated faces. This was probably Wales’ best chance to steal their first win against the Wallabies in their own back yard since 1969, but, sadly, it wasn’t to be.

Australia
Tries: Horne
Cons: Barnes
Pens: Barnes (5), Harris

Wales
Tries: North, Davies
Cons: Halfpenny (2)
Pens: Halfpenny (3)

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW); Cooper Vuna (Melbourne), Rob Horne (NSW), Pat McCabe (ACT), Digby Ioane (Queensland); Berrick Barnes (NSW), Will Genia (Queensland); Benn Robinson (NSW), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Queensland), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland), David Pocock (Western Force, capt), Wycliff Palu (NSW)

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), George North (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Ryan Jones (Ospreys).