Wales aim to end 55 years of hurt in Australia

Wales have arrived in Australia looking to banish 55 years of hurt.

Warren Gatland’s side face the Wallabies over two Tests, beginning on 6 July in Sydney, and then a week later in Melbourne, before ending the tour against Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

The last time the Welsh men’s national senior side defeated the Wallabies in Australia, Harold Wilson was prime minister, the Beatles were number one in the charts with ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’, and it was to be another month before Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.

So while Gatland’s side have lost their last seven Test matches, Wales’ long-term woes in Australia stretch back more than half a century.

It was 21 June, 1969 when Wales last beat the Wallabies in Australia with a 19-16 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

It was a Welsh team captained by Brian Price that included legends such as JPR Williams, John Dawes, Gerald Davies, Barry John, Sir Gareth Edwards, Delme Thomas and Mervyn Davies.

That was Wales’ first away Test in Australia and remains the only win in 12 attempts.

Since then they have suffered 11 defeats, with some of the losses ranking among the darkest days in Welsh rugby history.

Dawes, Ron Waldron, Kevin Bowring, Steve Hansen and Gareth Jenkins are some of the Wales coaches who have tried and failed to crack touring Australia.

Gatland will hope to buck the trend in the coming weeks.