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Wales' rays of light amid all the doom and gloom show where they can hurt Wallabies
The last year has undoubtedly been the toughest period Wales have endured for 21 years.
If Warren Gatland's side end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard again this Sunday it will officially mark the worst run of form in Welsh rugby history. Losing 11 Tests on the bounce is not something Gatland will want on his coaching CV and the odds are very much stacked against Wales considering Australia's stunning victory over England at Twickenham.
In the aftermath of Wales' first ever loss at home to Fiji the majority of the Welsh rugby public weren't in the mood to talk about positives. Wales had lost their 10th game in a row and against an emerging nation they should be beating at home.
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But amid all the doom and gloom there were some small positives Wales could take out of the game. Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas looks at what Wales can build on ahead of this Sunday's clash with the Wallabies.
Lineout and driving maul
If there was one area of Wales' game which functioned well it was the lineout where the hosts won 18 without losing a single one. In recent years Dewi Lake has been criticised by this writer for his throwing into the lineout but it has improved immeasurably and it was on point against Fiji.
If Wales are to stand any chance of overcoming the Wallabies at the Principality Stadium their lineout will need to be as clean as it was against Fiji. But it will be tougher to replicate against the Wallabies who will challenge Wales on their own throw which is something Fiji did not do last Sunday.
The likes of Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams will aim to disrupt Wales in this area. Another aspect of their game which has surprisingly gone very well over the course of their losing run is the driving maul.
Australia found Wales' maul almost impossible to defend in their two-Test series last summer and if Evan Lloyd had hit his man in the lineout during the closing stages of the second Test Gatland's men would very likely have come out on top. It was also a weapon against Fiji and forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys was incensed when Wales opted not to keep the ball in the maul during the closing stages of the game.
Regardless, the lineout and the maul are areas Wales can definitely take some encouragement and build on this Sunday, although it is perhaps surprising to see Taine Plumtree not included given his lineout prowess.
The impact of backrow super subs
Both Jac Morgan and James Botham made big impacts as second-half replacements against Fiji. Morgan was outstanding and if the Ospreys man had been fit last season one wonders whether Wales might have pinched a victory or two.
The 24-year-old is an explosive ball carrier who regularly makes post-contact metres, a type of player which is sadly lacking in Welsh rugby. Morgan's powerful carry during the second-half against Fiji gave Wales front-foot ball leading to Ellis Bevan crossing at the far right-hand corner.
It's not just his carrying but his all-round game which will benefit Wales against the Wallabies. Botham also made a positive impact and has been rewarded with a place in the starting XV.
The 26-year-old brought huge energy from the bench and is an extremely physical player. Wales will need both Botham and Morgan to have huge games against an underrated Australian backrow.
Botham will no doubt be tasked with stopping Australia's explosive carrying blindside Rob Valetini while outstanding openside flanker Fraser McReight is one of the best exponents of the breakdown in the southern hemisphere.
A fitter Aaron Wainwright
Prior to last Sunday's Test match Aaron Wainwright had only played 49 minutes of rugby all season for the Dragons because of a hamstring injury picked up in Australia last summer. Wainwright was Wales' best player last season but he looked a little off the pace against Fiji which is understandable given how little rugby he has played.
But the Dragons star will be better this Sunday for having a game under his belt. If Wales are to come up trumps against Joe Schmidt's side they will need Wainwright to be at his best.
The Wales pack lacked carries last weekend and there will be a big onus on Wainwright to get his side over the gainline as he did against the Wallabies last summer. His dynamism, lineout work and arguably above all else the way he reads the game are aspects Wales will need against the Wallabies.
The attacking pattern showed promise
During the early stages of the game Wales looked like they had something about them in attack. The centre partnership of Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn combined well while Mason Grady looked extremely prominent on the wing.
Thomas is a lovely footballer and the way he was able to suck in defenders and offload from the point of contact led directly to Cameron Winnett's opening try. Llewellyn, who has been one of the standout players in the Gallagher Premiership this season, carried well especially during the first-half.
Winnett was also impressive and acted well as a link man while his distribution was very good. But Wales' attack lost its way as a result of Grady leaving the field injured, with Sam Costelow and Ellis Bevan having to fill in out of position on the wing.
But looking ahead to this Sunday Wales can ask some questions of Australia in defence. Wales haven't got the cattle to attack the same way as they did during the first Gatland era so they need to show some more inventiveness and deception behind the scrum.
Blair Murray was also a positive on his Test debut and is somebody who can beat defenders if put into space. Cardiff playmaker Thomas made a few crucial errors under pressure late on in the game but there were glimpses throughout the 80 minutes pointing to a brighter future if he is given a run of games.
