Resurgent Australia pile more misery on Wales with battling win

A resurgent Wallabies earned their first back-to-back Test wins since 2021 on Saturday with a hard-fought 36-28 victory over Wales, who extended their horror run to nine straight defeats.

Filipo Daugunu scored twice with Jake Gordon and Allan Alaalatoa also crossing on a wet and cold Melbourne night to back up their 25-16 triumph in Sydney a week ago.

They took a 23-14 lead into the break and withstood intense second-half pressure and a series of handling errors to seal the series 2-0 and give new coach Joe Schmidt the second win of his tenure.

"It was tough, bit of relief at the end there," said Wallabies skipper James Slipper.

READ | Tele'a double edges All Blacks past England 24-17 to win series

"It was scrappy from us for sure, it wasn't our best game, but we got the result. There's plenty to work on though.

"They are gritty, they hang in there, they played our kicking game really well tonight," he added.

Defeat piled more pain on Warren Gatland's team which is now one loss away from equalling Wales' all-time record of 10 consecutive defeats, which came in 2002 and 2003 under another New Zealander, Steve Hansen.

They have slumped to 11th in the world rankings, below Fiji and Italy.

Despite clawing back from 17-0 down after 25 minutes, they paid the price for conceding too many penalties and again lost the breakdown battle, sorely missing injured workhorse No.8 Aaron Wainwright.

"We never gave up, we had a never-say-die attitude," said Wales captain Dewi Lake.

"But obviously we are a young team and we don't have enough experience really at Test level. What matters is results and we are not giving ourselves those at the moment."

Tense finale

Taine Plumtree assumed Wainwright's role in the back row with James Botham, grandson of