Wales lost 20-52 to Australia at home on Sunday but there was plenty that Warren Gatland learnt about his side.

Tries from Aaron Wainwright and Ben Thomas were not enough to best the visitors, who were simply too strong for a limp Wales side who made consistent errors throughout the match.

The inquest into Wales’ recent performances – winless since last year’s World Cup and now in a record run of losses – will begin in earnest this week with Warren Gatland taking the brunt of the criticism for results.

There were plenty of lessons learnt in defeat that Gatland will attempt to build on if they are to break this winless run against South Africa next Saturday.

Tom Rogers: Good

While many a Welsh fan will be feeling glum this week, the silver lining was an assured performance from Tom Rogers on the right wing.

The Scarlets back had only played three times for Wales before, twice in World Cup warm-up matches and other a Barbarians contest.

Rogers was imperious under the high ball – often Wales’ best source of metres made – and stuck to his task in defence and attack.

With Mason Grady needing surgery on his ankle injury picked up last weekend against Fiji and Rio Dyer out of form and favour, Rogers may well have played himself into the reckoning for next year’s Six Nations.

Wales Are Over-Reliant on Adam Beard

Last week this column waxed lyrical about Adam Beard and his importance to Wales lineout and this week the set piece was struggling.

The reason why? Beard went off after seven minutes with an injury. Australia proceeded to score three tries through their maul and while Wales’ lineout was shaky and predictable.

Some stats for you: Wales’ lineout success in the last two years with Beard in the team is 92% while it is 71% without the Ospreys man. They have also conceded seven maul tries without him and only two with him.

It is true he is not a carrier in the mold of George Martin or Emmanuel Meafou, but he is so important to Wales that the side looks listless without him.

Archie Griffin Needs To Leave Bath

One positive for Wales on Sunday was their scrum. Gareth Thomas is a solid loosehead while 23-year-old Archie Griffin was excellent, winning penalties against the highly rated Angus Bell.

He is an excellent carrier in the loose too, something Wales missed when Keiron Assiratti came on late in the game.

The problem for Griffin is that he is third choice for his club side, Bath. Being behind England’s starting tighthead Will Stuart and South African machine Thomas du Toit is not an insult to a promising young prop but he needs regular club matches if he is going to progress for Wales.

All four regions should be keeping a close eye on an opportunity to sign Griffin next summer.

Wales Look Mentally and Physically Fatigued

Much has been made in the past about Warren Gatland’s ability, with his strength and conditioning department, to make the Wales squad the fittest in the world.

Tales were rife of altitude, high heat, training in Switzerland and Turkey before the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the Wales head coach was vindicated as Wales made record-breaking numbers of tackles in winning performances against Fiji, Australia, and Georgia.

On Sunday, though, Wales looked fatigued. Whether the mental toll of 11 straight defeats had finally caught up with them, or Gatland’s methods are ineffective during the condensed Autumn International break, this not something can be easily answered.

But, with a six day turnaround to play the double World Champions South Africa, Wales will need to be at their fittest for a while if they are to repel the Springboks for 80 minutes.

Australia Show How Quickly Things Can Change

Wales opponents on Sunday do at least offer them a glimpse at how quickly the narrative around a team can change.

Many were writing Australian rugby union’s obituary after a disastrous Rugby World Cup, with the country as a whole seemingly uninterested in union, favouring Australia Rules and rugby league instead.

Eddie Jones reign was shambolic and lead to a first pool stage exit in their history. Enter Joe Schmidt.

The former Ireland coach is renowned in rugby as a detail-oriented coach who has had considerable success as head coach of Ireland and assistant at New Zealand.

But even his appointed looked to have been a mere sticking plaster. After a solid, if unspectacular, series win over Wales in the summer, Australia lost all but one of their Rugby Championship matches, including a record defeat to Argentina.

Coming to Europe with confidence low, Australia won one of the matches of the year at Twickenham, beating England 37-42 in a sumptuous display of Australian running rugby. With this Wales win, the Wallabies are now targeting a ‘Grand Slam’ tour with matches against Scotland and Ireland to come.

With a Lions Tour next summer and home World Cup in 2027, Joe Schmidt’s appointment shows Wales how quickly things can change in sport.

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