Such a victory against the Wallabies looked highly improbable four years on. Wales had returned from their summer tour to Australia three months previous to the beginning of the World Cup; they still carried the scars of the record win that the Antipodeans had inflicted upon them. Wales had lost by 63 points to 6, and had also gone down 71-8 in a thrashing by New South Wales.
Wales ultimately had no answer to Australia’s verve. Australia inflicted the second embarrassment on Wales in a year, registering the largest score ever achieved in an international at Cardiff Arms Park.
Michael Lynagh put the Australians on the scoreboard first with a penalty score ten minutes into the match. The replacement captain (taking over the role from the injured Nick Farr-Jones) added a further three points just before the half hour mark, taking the score to 0-6. Five minutes later the Australians inflicted their first try on the Welsh. David Campese took an inside pass from Lynagh and spun the ball out again to his left; the Australian centres provided Martin Roebuck with the ball to touch down. Lynagh missed the conversion, so the Australians remained ten points ahead of the Welsh.
Wales scored their only points of the game following the first Australian try, courtesy of the boot of Mark Ring. This penalty reduced the score to 3-10 to the visitors, but this was to be as close as Wales would get to the Antipodeans in the match. Two minutes following Ring’s effort, Slattery scored Australia’s second try and Lynagh was on target with the conversion to stretch the lead to 3-16. Campese, having set up the first try, scored one of his own just before the interval. He received a pass following a huge Australian forward drive. Lynagh again converted.
The score going into the interval was 3-22, so although very much down, Wales were not completely out. They were aided in this score line by the stand-in Australian captain, who had missed five of his seven attempts at goal I the first half. The Australians did not add to their score again until the 73rd minute, but once they had resumed scoring, the rout began. Timothy Horan touched down, his effort was converted by Lynagh. Lynagh added an unconverted try of his own 6 minutes later. A minute into injury time Roebuck got his second try of the match, Lynagh found the posts this time to take the tally, and final score, to a crushing 3-38 victory against the Welsh.
Australia had run in six tries in this pool match victory. This defeat meant that Wales had conceded eighteen tries in two successive matches against the Wallabies without reply. Australian lock John Eales was exceptional in the line-out; the staggering 30-2 line-out count of Australian ball won speaking volumes. Australia, the eventual winners of the 1991 Rugby World Cup, made Wales look lifeless. Australian possession, dominance at the line-out, pace and beautiful kicking ensured that Wales saw little ball in a game in which Welsh hopes died and the Welsh Dragon ran of steam. The fire had been well and truly distinguished.
