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Kurtley Beale of Australia scores a last minute try to win the match under pressure from Alex Cuthbert of Wales during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Beale breaks Welsh hearts
A last-minute try from Kurtley Beale denied Wales victory over old foes Australia as the Gold run continued with a 14-12 result on Saturday.
The loss meant that Wales, the current Grand Slam champions and World Cup semi-finalists, fell out of the top-eight seeds for RWC 2015, the draw for which takes place on Monday.
The game had looked to be going Wales' way at 12-9 with a minute to play, but replacement flanker Dave Dennis found a metre of space out wide with the Welsh defence flagging and fed Beale, who outpaced Alex Cuthbert to the corner.
It was a ninth victory in 15 Tests of a marathon season for Australia and meant they leapfrogged South Africa into second in the IRB rankings.
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Liam Williams of Wales is tackled by Ben Tapuai of Australia during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Man of the match: We go for Leigh Halfpenny after another impressive performance at the back for his country. He was yet again faultless covering the ground in attack and defence while his kicking from hand and tee means that he edges out Wallaby flank David Pocock.
Moment of the match: Of course, that last-gasp try from Kurtley Beale.
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Nathan Sharpe of Australia is tackled by Matthew Rees of Wales during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Wycliff Palu of Australia dives to save a certain try from Toby Faletau of Wales during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Switching Berrick Barnes the winning move
Reserve fullback Mike Harris replaced inside centre Ben Tapuai in the 58th minute -- the key tactical substitution in the game.
Wales' consistent fullback Leigh Halfpenny put the Welsh in front 12-9 with his fourth penalty goal in the 60th minute and for the next 10 minutes it looked as Australia was playing for a match-equalising penalty goal.
But with 10 minutes remaining the Wallabies changed tactics and chased a match-winning try.
Having Berrick Barnes at inside centre enabled them to play with more width as they shifted the ball to the edges to beat the Welsh rush defence on the outside.
With Beale just about out on his feet, Barnes then effectively took over as first receiver for the last five minutes.
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Wallabies forward Scott Higginbotham charges through the tackle of Toby Faletau during the International match between Australia and Wales at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)
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A long cut-out pass from Barnes to Harris initiated the attacking movement that led to Beale's try.
The Wallabies played their best attacking rugby of the European tour in the last 10 minutes of the Welsh Test and a lot of critics would question why they did not play that way all the time.
The reality is there was no way this tired team could play an up-tempo, expansive style of game for 80 minutes, but they managed to do it at the end when necessary.
Those who saw the Wallabies train last week realised they were just about out of juice.
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Wales led 12-9 with 10 minutes left when Wallabies captain Nathan Sharpe, who played superbly in his last Test by dominating the lineout and carrying the ball strongly, decided to chase a match-winning try.
That's when the substitution of Harris for Tapuai benefited the Wallabies as it allowed Barnes to come into the front line and run the attack instead of Beale, who was just about spent.
With Barnes playing the ball-distributor role, Beale had the freedom to roam out wide and that's how he was in a position to score the match-winning try.
Alex Cuthbert of Wales is tackled by Berrick Barnes and Ben Tapuai of Australia during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Kurtley Beale of Australia is tackled by Aaron Shingler Lou Reed and Sam Warburton of Wales during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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The Australian Team look on as Nathan Sharpe takes the final kick of the game during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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Emotional ending for Sharpe
It certainly wasn't the way Nathan Sharpe envisaged ending his rugby career but a missed conversion was the last act for this retiring Wallaby.
For the past 16 years, the strapping lock has earned a living by smashing into rucks, leaping in line-outs and pushing in the middle of scrums.
Lining up kicks from the touchline has never been on his to-do list. But there he was in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 30 metres out and attempting a conversion with his last competitive touch of rugby ball.
His kick failed to reach the posts - one of the few times Sharpe has come up short as a Wallaby.
"Of course I'm going to miss it - it's what I've done since I can remember," an emotional Sharpe said as he assessed his long, distinguished career after the 14-12 victory over Wales.
"I am going to have to find some walls to run into every weekend, just to get my head around things, ease my way out of it."
"The thing I'll probably miss most is being in the team environment, having a collective goal in a pressure-cooker situation each weekend," he said, close to tears.
Sharpe's debut for Australia came in a match against France in 2002 and he turned out for 115 more tests, making him the Wallabies' second most-capped players after scrum-half great George Gregan.
Nathan Sharpe of Australia is tackled by Matthew Rees of Wales during the International match between Wales and Australia at Millennium Stadium on December 1, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.
(November 30, 2012 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)
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