Australia v Wales: Rugby World Cup 2015 – as it happened

Match report:

Australia have triumphed and will face Scotland in the next round, while Wales have a date with South Africa. There were no tries in this game, but it was still a real thriller. The passion, strength, brutality and bravery on show from both sets of players was simply mind-boggling. Wales let it get away with them towards the end and will be frustrated that they failed to score against 13 men, but it’s difficult to know what more they could have done in the face of Australia’s incredible refusal to buckle under the most extraordinary pressure.

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80 min: We’re in the final minute of a match in which Australia showed, for one 10 minute period when they were down to 13 men, incredible defensive fortitude. They’ve been too good for Wales today and are going to take some beating in this tournament on the evidence of today’s display.

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76 min: The Wales winger’s involvement in this game is over and he can’t complain. It was the most blatant deliberate knock-on you will ever see, but the referee sends it upstairs anyway to check whether or not he prevented a certain try-scoring opportunity. It’s decided that he didn’t, so Australia have to settle for a kick at goal instead of a penalty try. Bernard Foley misses it.

75 min: Wales have brought on several replacements, with Rhys Priestland, James Hook, Ross Moriarty, Ken Owens and Aaron Jarvis all on.

Bernard Foley kicks the points in what could constitute a mental hammer-blow for Wales, who not only failed to score against 13 men, but more or less conceded three points to them. From being cvamped on their own line for over 10 minutes, Australia made it to within five metres of the Wales line, due in no small part to a brilliant run from Israel Folau, who is now hobbling around the field.

70 min: Dean Mumm returns from his spell on the naughty step as Australia prepare to take a penalty for offside straight in front of the Wales posts. After an incredible defensive effort from their 13 men, they’re about to extend their lead by another three points. Wales will be devastated by this.

68 min: More Australian substitutes and it’s hardly surprising considering the epic brutality they’re having to endure. Matt Giteau, Will Genia, Stephen Moore and Drew Mitchell make way for Kurtley Beale, Tatafu Poluta-Nau, Nick Phipps and Matt Toomua. Genia’s period in the sin bin has elapsed, but he’s getting an extended breather.

67 min: Absolutely heroicx defending from 13-man Australia, who again perform miracles to halt an explosive Jamie Roberts burst towards their line and hold the player up. Kane Douglas shows remarkable strength to prevent Roberts from getting over the line there.

63 min: Wales continue to lay siege to the Australia line, desperate to make their numerical advance count. Welsh scrum five yards from the Australian line, after Stephen Moore is ticked off by Craig Joubert for some indiscretion or other being perpetrated by substitute forwards James Slipper and Rob Simmons, who are on for David Pocock and Scott Sio.

62 min: Incredible defending from Australia, who somehow hold George North after Wales had got the ball out wide in a three-on-two and tried to put their centre in at the corner. Ben McCalman performed heroics there to scramble back in defence, hold North up and prevent him from grounding the ball.

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60 min: Australia are down to 13 men after losing their second-row for naughtiness at a line-out. Wales have a line-out in the corner just a few yards from the Australian try line and simply have to take advantage of their superiority in numbers. Mumm tackled Alun Wyn Jones in the air and had to walk.

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59 min: No try! TV ref Shaun Veldsman decrees that Faleau failed to ground the ball after losing control of it in the bottom of the ruck. Wales have a penalty instead for an earlier offside in the build-up to that non-try. They kick for the corner.

58 min: Relentless pressure from Wales and Faletau gets over the line at the bottom of a seething mass of humanity, but did he ground the ball or lose control of it?

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57 min: Genia gets binned for cynical play as he fails to let Gareth Davies take a quick tap-and-go penalty after another infringement at the breakdown. Moments previously, Davies had charged down an Australian clearing kick from Bernard Foley, but the Australian out-half was able to tidy up.

55 min: Both sides change their tighthead props: Greg Holmes comes into the Australian front row for Sekope Kepu, while Thomas Francis comes on for Samson Lee for Wales.

53 min: Australians may criticise Poms for whinging all the time, but their own captain Stephen Moore is well able to do it too. He’s constantly in the referee’s ear, moaning about England killing his team’s play, which you could say is a mite foolhardy coming from a man who has already cost his side three points with an act of petulance.

52 min: Wales try to get the ball out wide, but Jamie Roberts’s pass is wayward. Scott Fardy was the victim of Faletau’s illegal neck-roll, by the way. We’ve had a lot of players get penalised for that offence in this World Cup, which is understandable considering how dangerous it is. Turnover stat: Australia 4-4 Wales. Try stat: Australia 0-0 Wales.

Bernard Foley adds another three points to his tally with another big kick.

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49 min: Wales turnover, just inside their own 22. Andre Joubert asks for the clock to be stopped and after consulting with his touch judge, penalises Taulupe Faletau for a neck roll. Penalty for Australia under the Welsh posts but a long way out, but Faletau doesn’t end up in the sin bin.

48 min: Alex Cuthbert is foiled by an unlucky series of bounces as he attempts to gather a kick over the Wales defence, allowing Australia to make about 50 yards through the centre when Israel Folau catches his own kick. Australia make the first substitution of the game, sending on Ben McCalman on for Sean McMahon.

45 min: George North’s thighs pump like pistons as he advances towards the halfway line. Wales Gareth Hanscombe finds Taulupe Faletau with a splendid offload and the Wales No8 sprints up the touchline, only for David Pocock to put a stop to his gallop.

43 min: Australia take a quick line-out and kick long after an Alex Cuthbert knock-on.

42 min: Wales line-out halfway inside the Australia half. Scott Baldwin throws in the ball, which Alun Wyn-Jones wins cleanly. Wales make their way towards the Australia 22.

41 min: Bernard Foley kicks long and Dan Biggar catches the ball. Drew Mitchell is up remarkably quickly, but is made to look foolish as Biggar passes outside just as he arrives to tackle him. Wales clear their lines after a ferocious start from Australia.

We go again, after an often attritional first half in which we’ve seen little of the expansive running that characterised much of the Scotland-Samoa match. Hats off to Wales, mind. They’ve done well to keep things tight, hold the ball up in the tackle and prevent the Wallabies from getting the ball out their back line.

They’ve got to be very happy with that and could win this game if they cut out the silly errors at the breakdown. A quick reminder: the winners of this match will play Scotland in the last eight, while the losers get South Africa.

Australia go in with a slender lead. Both teams have been fairly careless around the breakdown, often giving away dim-witted penalties for silly foul play. Wales will need more discipline in the second half if they are to prevail. One can’t help but feel they could become even more indisciplined as brains and bodies begin to tire.

40 min: Another Welsh infringement at the breakdown leads to a penalty for Australia inside their own half, 56 metres from the Welsh goal. Matt Giteau reckons it’s within his range, but his effort falls a mite short.

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40 min: Naughty Will Genia! He comes in at the side like a child stealing sweets, but gets caught with his hand in the jar. Wales have a penalty in front of the posts, a fair distance out, but Dan Biggar misses. His twitchy pre-kick routine is worth the price of admission alone.

36 min: Wales concede another penalty just outside their own 22 and Foley does the honours again. Wales No8 Taulupe Falateau just couldn’t help himself as he saw the ball lying on the ground and strayed offside. Referee Andre Joubert warns Wales captain Sam Warburton that “the trend” of conceding penalty after penalty in the same area cannot continue. He says the next Welsh player who does it will go in the bin.

32 min: Wales win a penalty, which is advanced 10 metres into kicking range when their captain Stephen Moore gives the referee some lip. Biggar pings it between the posts.

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Foley slots the ball over from a position right of centre. Wales won’t be too concerned - Australia probably should have come through that spell of dominance with seven points.

29 min: Wales look to have turned the ball over as Australia laid siege on their line, but Tipiric is penalised again, this time for going off his feet. Australia have a penalty on the Wales 22 and decide to go for the three points this time.

26 min: Justin Tipiric is penalised for going in at the side of the ruck and Australia have a penalty on the halfway line. They kick for position, win the line-out and advance into the Welsh 22. Andre Joubert sticks up his arm and Wales are penalised for collapsing the maul. Rather than take three points, Australia make a big call to kick for the line-out and try to get over the line ...

26 min: Following a ropey start, Australia are starting to dominate in the scrums now. Samson Lee has got twisted this way and that by Scott Sio in the last two set-pieces and is looking very uncomfortable.