The Wallaby changeroom after the win over Wales

Australia set out on their European tour with the goal of achieving a Grand Slam in mind, following in the footsteps of the great 1984 side. Things went awry early on, but they ended the tour on a high with a great win over Wales in Cardiff.

Struggling with injuries to key players, and a lack of form, meant that 2009 wasn’t a great year for the Wallabies. A backline scattered with youngsters and leadership changing hands a few times aren’t great recipes for success either.

They started off well though, beating England at Twickenham then getting the the better of Ireland right up until the final play of the game, as captain Brian O’Driscoll went over for a try that set up the 20-20 draw.

Just like that, the Grand Slam dream was over. A week later they lost to Scotland, 9-8. According to the Australian media, that was the lowest of the low for Australian rugby, and the knives were out as the team took a mauling back home.

In true Aussie spirit though, the players pulled things together and following a good midweek win over Cardiff, the young side triumphed over Wales in one of the more entertaining matches of the past few weeks.

They scored some great tries and silenced the partisan Welsh crowd, with flyhalf Matt Giteau in particular having one of his best matches of the year. Unfortunately he doesn’t drink as well as he plays, which you’ll see in the clip. Downing drink from the winning trophy, then grimacing in front of the the camera? No Matt, no.

This video shows ten minutes of footage from after the final whistle, as we get to experience what it’s like inside the changeroom with the Wallabies. This is a group that for the whole of the previous week were roasted by their media.

You can see what the win means to the players, especially the younger guys who clearly respect and take pride in a victory over the Welsh at such a great venue.

While it’s a long vid which shows a few half-naked Australians drinking, it’s still an interesting watch that allows us to get to know the players a little better, as well as see what goes on behind the scenes after a good win.

Be prepared for moustaches, champagne, and a Kiwi singing the Australian national anthem.

Time:

10:08