Wales driven by the winds of change after errors are ditched for freedom of expression

For the first half hour Wales could not have played much worse. All those exhortations to launch the autumn series off with panache seemed like nothing more than words lost to the wind. It was an abject start to the international season.

Cruel as it is, the litany of errors must be recorded. Gareth Thomas, the strongest player in the Wales team, was stripped of the ball by Matt Giteau, small and dazzling from start to finish, no matter where he was asked to play.

Shane Williams, the most gifted runner in the Welsh team, lost the ball the first time he touched it. The first line-out on the Welsh throw was lost. Gavin Henson's first pass bounced along the floor to Ryan Jones. Tom Shanklin had his back turned to Giteau when the scrum-half took a quick tap-and-go penalty for Australia's second try.

Ian Gough clung on to the ball after being tackled. Ryan Jones prevented release at another ruck. Gethin Jenkins scooped the ball back with his hand at a scrum. It was all going terribly wrong.

And was about to get even worse, apparently, when the new captain, the cool-headed Stephen Jones, walked off injured. Wales were trailing by 11 points and could hardly lay a finger on the ball, let alone keep it safely in their possession.

Then came a turning point. Mat Rogers was penalised for a little bit of tussling off the ball. Wales cleared their lines and won the line-out. Instead of delivering the ball from the peak of the leap, Wales drove. The passage of the ball to the backs had been all too predictable; now, at last, a bit of variety.

From the driven maul, James Hook stroked the ball towards the corner. It was efficiency itself. There was hope yet for the team. Jones the captain might not be so missed after all.

From the next scrum, the theme of smooth-running swelled. Ryan Jones - Jones the line-break - charged up the short side. Momentum plus quick release. This was much more like it, the platform for release, efficiency before the expression.

Hook passed long to Henson, who flipped short and under pressure to Shanklin. Centre to full-back, then Kevin Morgan to Williams, nobody running at the same angle, everybody directing traffic with the point of the ball. If the first half hour was dire, the second was sensational.

It was all based on control. Drive the ball, then release. Kick behind the defence, rather than pass for passing's sake. Suddenly it was Australia who were being turned over. Hook flattened Lote Tuqiri with a tackle, which was destined to be the tackle of the match until Gough creamed Nathan Sharpe close to the line.

Instead of Stephen Larkham shredding the Welsh defence with his passing, now he was struggling to direct the ball into willing hands. Moreover, he found himself being booed for obstructing little Shane. Kevin Morgan was sandwiched by two Wallabies as he too chased a kick to the line.

It mattered not. The felling of Williams had led to a penalty; now the squashing of Morgan led to a try. Another Williams took up his pursuit, Martyn Williams, brilliantly picking the ball up and diving for the line after Stephen Hoile had failed to control the ball on the floor.

There was one single problem for Wales. The line-out. Australia, having fallen behind based their fight-back on stolen possession at the set piece. During the final, pulsating section of the game, Australia returned to their monopoly of possession.

Some of it they wasted. Rogers kicked out on the full, then lost the ball in contact from Jonathan Thomas. But it always came back to them when Wales threw in.

Even when Wales won a line-out, Rocky Elsom stole the ball in the maul and ran clear. It required another try-saving tackle, this one by Gareth Thomas, to save the draw.

And finally, one scrum. Australia were in control at the line-out, and now they had a scrum in a good attacking position, with under four minutes left on the clock. It was a match-winning opportunity.

Instead of worrying Wales, however, Australia were turned and sent backwards. It was infield revenge for the ills of the touchline. It was a set-piece that secured the draw. And those exhortations to prosper in the autumn were not entirely lost to the wind.

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