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Faessler and Wright hat-tricks as Wallabies rout Wales

3 minute read

Hooker Matt Faessler and full-back Tom Wright have scored hat-tricks as the Wallabies pounded Wales to a merciless 52-20 defeat in Cardiff.

TOM WRIGHT. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

The Wallabies have surged halfway towards the coveted 'grand slam' on their British Isles tour by consigning hapless Wales to a record-breaking 11th successive Test defeat, a 52-20 thumping in gloom-laden Cardiff.

Queensland hooker Matt Faessler had the day of his rugby life on Sunday (Monday AEDT) as he powered over for a hat-trick of tries in the Principality Stadium, while fullback Tom Wright also flew in for a consummate treble that won him the player-of-the-match award.

Lock Nick Frost and centre Len Ikitau also got on the eight-try to two romp on one of Welsh rugby's darkest days as they ended up as a weary rabble, put to the sword by the ruthless attacking flair of the Wallabies.

Australia coach Joe Schmidt earned all the bragging rights in his 12th head-to-head with his fellow New Zealander Warren Gatland, whose future as Welsh boss now looks doomed after overseeing the worst ever sequence of losses for a proud rugby nation.

Even when they were down to 14 men for 20 minutes in the second half after a yellow card for Samu Kerevi for a high tackle was upgraded, the Wallabies still scored three tries on a day of humiliation for the Welsh, whose fans were streaming out of the stadium well before the finish.

But the Australians' glorious revival marches on, with Schmidt's men following up their fine win over England with an emphatic triumph that leaves them two wins away from emulating the Mark Ella-inspired class of 40 years ago who achieved the fabled 'grand slam'.