Wales were denied the minor consolation of third place in the 2011 Rugby World Cup by an Australia team who for long periods seemed more inspired by the pain of their defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the semi-final than their opponents were by the memory of their controversial exit against France.
After an error-strewn first half Wales improved greatly in the second period and Shane Williams, who will say farewell to international rugby against the Wallabies in Cardiff on 3 December, had the satisfaction of a try to add to those he scored against Samoa in a pool match and Ireland in the quarter-final, even if this one came from James Hook's blatant forward pass.
Australia lost Kurtley Beale with a hamstring injury in the 10th minute but took the lead two minutes later after Williams knocked on near his own corner flag while trying to reach Quade Cooper's kick before James O'Connor could get there. The Welsh wing fumbled the ball a split-second before being smashed to the deck by a double tackle from Tatafu Polota-Nau and David Pocock, but got up to see Will Genia feed Cooper from the scrum, the fly-half swiftly transferring the ball to Berrick Barnes, whose diagonal run took him through a hole in the Welsh cover and across the line under the posts. O'Connor converted.
Hook reduced the lead seven minutes later with a simple penalty after a scrum infringement 10 metres from the Wales line. Australia attacked from the kick-off, only for Cooper, preparing to jink past a defender 15 metres from the line, to collapse as his right ankle gave way without a hint of contact. He had made 17 passes in 21 minutes and given glimpses of the elusive footwork and soft hands that he had been unable to show under greater pressure in last Sunday's semi-final against the All Blacks. Barnes moved to outside half, with Anthony Faingaa coming on at inside centre.
O'Connor hit the post with a 45-metre penalty after 30 minutes, before Leigh Halfpenny missed from a similar range at the other end. The half-time whistle sounded as the ball rolled uselessly into touch from Jonathan Davies's grubber kick, the centre having decided against passing the ball to Williams, free on the left 30 metres out and with a only single opponent barring his route.
To audible disappointment from the large contingent of Wales fans in the stadium, Hook missed an opportunity to reduce the deficit five minutes into the second half when a straightforward kick from 25 metres slid wide. The loss of Rhys Priestland before the semi-final seemed costlier than ever.
Williams's try came when, with a neat bit of footwork, he controlled Hook's forward pass 20 metres out and steered it over the line, sprinting to make the touchdown. Hook missed the conversion and was replaced by Stephen Jones.
After conceding an average of only one penalty in their own half per match in the earlier stages of the tournament, suddenly Wales were being punished with increasing frequency. O'Connor landed two kicks from long range before Barnes succeeded with a drop goal from 35 metres.
Stephen Jones made it 11-16 with a penalty 10 minutes from time, and North stripped the ball from Horne's grasp just as the Wallaby was about to touch down, but there was no cover in the 76th minute as Ben McCalman, the Wallabies' No8, got on the end of a handling move on the left and touched down in the corner.
As they had against France, Wales ended with a sequence of more than two dozen phases, this time finishing off with a try for Halfpenny, converted by Jones. Once again, however, it was to no avail, the game ending 21-18 in Australia's favour.
Wales: Halfpenny; North, J Davies, Roberts, Shane Williams; Hook, Phillips; Jenkins, Bennett, James, Charteris, B Davies, Lydiate, Faletau, R Jones..
Australia: Beale; O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper, Barnes, Ioane; Cooper, Genia; Slipper, Polota-Nau, Ma'afu, Horwill, Sharpe, Higginbotham, Pocock, McCalman.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
