The game was in the Autumn Series in 2022 and as well as scoring four tries, the 34 points scored by Wales were the most they had ever notched against the Wallabies. Yet despite leading by 21 points at one stage, they succumbed to a late rally.
Games between Wales and Australia always tend to be close run affairs. Only once in the last 15 meetings between the two nations going back to the Bronze Final in the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 has been a blow-out – the Wallabies cruising to a 32-8 win in Cardiff in 2016.
The other 14 games have been won by nine points or less, with 10 of the games being decided by a single score. The Aussies have won 12 of the last 15 but Thomas is backing the harsh lessons learned in 2022 to help Wales in Lyon on Sunday.
“When we came here, we always wanted to win all the games in the group, and nothing has changed. We’ve got the same mindset, we want to go out there, perform and get another win,” said the Ospreys front row man.
“They’re always going to be dangerous. Last autumn things went well for us until the last 10 minutes and finishing off games has been a big focus of ours.
“Hopefully, this weekend we will be able to do that. We take a lot of confidence from the Fiji and Portugal games, as well as what we’ve done all summer. We feel like we can only get better.
“Getting a third win and securing a quarter-final place would be an amazing feeling. We don’t want anything but that.”
