2007 Wales rugby union tour of Australia

2007 Wales rugby union tour of Australia
Coach(es)	Gareth Jenkins
Tour captain(s)	Gareth Thomas
Summary	P W D L
Total	02 00 00 02
Test match	02 00 00 02
Opponent	P W D L
Australia	2 0 0 2
Tour chronology
Previous tour	Argentina 2006
Next tour	South Africa 2008

The Wales national rugby union team toured Australia in May and June 2007, playing two tests against the Australia national team as part of their preparation for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They lost the first test in Sydney 29–23 before being shut out in the second, losing 31–0 in Brisbane, and Australia claimed the newly inaugurated James Bevan Trophy with a 2–0 series win.

As part of their preparations for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Wales scheduled two test matches against Australia, one of their opponents in Pool B of the tournament.^[1] They would play for the James Bevan Trophy, which was commissioned by International Business Wales (IBW), the economic arm of the Welsh Assembly government, to commemorate James Bevan, a rugby player who was born in Australia to a Welsh father and who returned to Great Britain before becoming the first captain of the Wales rugby union team.^[2] The first test was scheduled to be played at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 26 May 2007, while the second would be played at Lang Park in Brisbane a week later, on 2 June 2007. Australia won the first test 29–23, before claiming the second 31–0.

Date	Venue	Home	Score	Away
26 May 2007	Stadium Australia, Sydney	Australia	29–23	Wales
2 June 2007	Lang Park, Brisbane	Australia	31–0	Wales

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins named an initial 28-man squad for the tour of Australia on 30 April 2007. Centre Gavin Henson was included despite a knee injury having kept him out since January, while wing Dafydd James, prop Iestyn Thomas and versatile forward Michael Owen also returned to the international fold after absences. Flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor, who suffered a broken and dislocated ankle in September 2006, recovered in time to be selected. Sixteen senior players were left out, taking part in a home summer training camp instead, leaving room for the uncapped pair of prop Ceri Jones and lock/back rower Scott Morgan in the squad.^[3] Captain Gareth Thomas was the subject of a club-versus-country battle following his selection; while the Welsh Rugby Union claimed that the tour was IRB-sanctioned and that they had first option on Thomas's availability, his club Toulouse were insistent that he honour his contract with them and finish the 2006–07 Top 14 season.^[4] On legal advice, he joined up with the Wales squad on tour, but hoped that he would be able to return to France for a potential play-off final at the Stade de France on 12 June;^[5] however, Toulouse were eliminated in the semi-finals by Clermont. On 9 May, uncapped prop Jamie Corsi and veteran centre Sonny Parker were called up to replace the injured Rhys Thomas (ankle) and Dafydd James (knee).^[6] Wing Hal Luscombe also pulled out for personal reasons, and was replaced a week later by the uncapped Tom James; hookers Matthew Rees and Gareth Williams were also added to the squad after Mefin Davies (rib) and Huw Bennett (neck) suffered injuries.^[7] Rees joined the tour on the condition that he would be allowed to return home after the first test in order to be present for the birth of his first child.^[8] The Dragons players in the squad flew out to Australia later than the rest of the group due to the Dragons' involvement in a qualification play-off for the 2007–08 Heineken Cup on 18 May,^[9] as did Bath scrum-half Andy Williams. Wing Aled Brew was not considered for the first test due to a ligament injury, while Gareth Williams tore a calf muscle in training, leaving Hibbard and Rees as the two hookers available for the first test; Mefin Davies recovered from his rib injury in time to fly out for the second test in place of Williams, while Steve Jones took the place of the departing Rees.^[10] Prop Adam Jones also suffered a torn calf in training, ruling him out of the second test; he was replaced by Chris Horsman, who went straight onto the bench as Corsi was also carrying an injury.^[11]

The Australian Rugby Union named an initial joint training squad of 59 on 7 May 2007 for the Wallabies and Australia A teams' mid-year fixtures.^[17] This was reduced to 37 on 13 May for a three-day training camp in Sydney the following week,^[18] before a final cut to 30 players on 20 May for the Wales tests; flanker Phil Waugh and centre Stirling Mortlock were named as joint captains, and there were four uncapped players in the squad: James Horwill, Julian Huxley, Digby Ioane and Sam Norton-Knight.^[19] Wing Lote Tuqiri was ruled out of the tests against Wales in favour of an intensive training programme.^[20]

Australia named their team for the first test four days before the match. Julian Huxley was named to earn his first cap at full-back, while utility back Matt Giteau was named at scrum-half in favour of George Gregan, who was one of two backs on the bench. Flanker Phil Waugh recovered from an ankle injury in time to be named as captain of the team. Wing Drew Mitchell, centre Adam Ashley-Cooper and prop Matt Dunning all made their first appearances for the Wallabies since 2005.^[21] Wales named their line-up the next day, the highlight being captain Gareth Thomas's selection on the wing for his 93rd cap, overtaking Gareth Llewellyn as the most capped player for Wales; meanwhile, centre Gavin Henson was named on the bench, and coach Gareth Jenkins said he was "likely to play a part in the game at some stage". In the forwards, Jonathan Thomas was named at number 8 ahead of Michael Owen, while Matthew Rees won the battle with Richard Hibbard to start at hooker. Uncapped prop Ceri Jones was named on the bench.^[22]

26 May 2007

Australia	29–23	Wales
Try: Palu Sharpe Giteau Hoiles Con: Mortlock (3) Pen: Mortlock	Report	Try: Gareth Thomas Robinson Con: Hook (2) Pen: Hook (2) Drop: Hook

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

FB 15 Julian Huxley RW 14 Mark Gerrard OC 13 Stirling Mortlock IC 12 Adam Ashley-Cooper  66' LW 11 Drew Mitchell FH 10 Sam Norton-Knight SH 9 Matt Giteau N8 8 Wycliff Palu  73' OF 7 Phil Waugh (c)  53' BF 6 Rocky Elsom RL 5 Mark Chisholm  67' LL 4 Nathan Sharpe TP 3 Guy Shepherdson HK 2 Stephen Moore  73' LP 1 Matt Dunning  53' Replacements: HK 16 Adam Freier  73' PR 17 Benn Robinson  53' LK 18 Dan Vickerman  67' N8 19 Stephen Hoiles  73' FL 20 George Smith  53' SH 21 George Gregan  66' WG 22 Scott Staniforth Coach: John Connolly

FB 15 Lee Byrne RW 14 Gareth Thomas (c) OC 13 Jamie Robinson  67' IC 12 Sonny Parker LW 11 Chris Czekaj FH 10 James Hook SH 9 Mike Phillips  72' N8 8 Jonathan Thomas OF 7 Gavin Thomas BF 6 Colin Charvis RL 5 Robert Sidoli LL 4 Brent Cockbain  36' TP 3 Adam Jones HK 2 Matthew Rees  74' LP 1 Iestyn Thomas  73' Replacements: HK 16 Richard Hibbard  74' PR 17 Ceri Jones  73' N8 18 Michael Owen  36' FL 19 Scott Morgan SH 20 Gareth Cooper  72' FH 21 Ceri Sweeney CE 22 Gavin Henson  67' Coach: Nigel Davies

2 June 2007

Australia	31–0	Wales
Try: Huxley Ioane Mitchell Con: Mortlock (2) Pen: Mortlock (4)	Report

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 41,622 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

FB 15 Julian Huxley RW 14 Digby Ioane OC 13 Stirling Mortlock (c) IC 12 Adam Ashley-Cooper LW 11 Drew Mitchell FH 10 Stephen Larkham SH 9 Matt Giteau N8 8 Wycliff Palu OF 7 George Smith BF 6 Rocky Elsom RL 5 Dan Vickerman LL 4 Nathan Sharpe TP 3 Guy Shepherdson HK 2 Stephen Moore LP 1 Benn Robinson Replacements: HK 16 Adam Freier PR 17 Matt Dunning LK 18 Mark Chisholm N8 19 Stephen Hoiles FL 20 Phil Waugh SH 21 George Gregan CE 22 Mark Gerrard Coach: John Connolly

FB 15 Gareth Thomas (c) RW 14 Chris Czekaj OC 13 Jamie Robinson IC 12 Sonny Parker LW 11 Aled Brew FH 10 James Hook SH 9 Mike Phillips N8 8 Jonathan Thomas OF 7 Gavin Thomas BF 6 Colin Charvis RL 5 Robert Sidoli LL 4 Michael Owen TP 3 Ceri Jones HK 2 Mefin Davies LP 1 Iestyn Thomas Replacements: HK 16 Richard Hibbard PR 17 Chris Horsman FL 18 Scott Morgan FL 19 Robin Sowden-Taylor SH 20 Andy Williams FH 21 Ceri Sweeney CE 22 Gavin Henson Coach: Nigel Davies