Australia coach Robbie Deans hailed his youthful team's "growing maturity" after they ended a see-saw 2009 with a thumping 33-12 victory over Wales.

In a display that would have restored many neutral, as well as Wallaby, fans' faith in rugby union as a spectacle after a November international programme blighted by tedious kicking exchanges, Australia ran in four tries here at the Millennium Stadium in front of a crowd of more than 74,000.

Centre Digby Ioane, lock James Horwill, flanker David Pocock and replacement hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau all crossed Wales's line, with the three starters scoring inside the opening 24 minutes.

Encouragingly for Australia, Ioane is still only 24, as are Horwill and Polota-Nau, while the impressive Pocock is a mere 21 - the same age as Wallaby scrum-half Will Genia and playmaking inside centre Quade Cooper.

Australia's dominance in all areas against Wales was absolute and the days when opposition front-rows looked forward to a creaking Wallaby scrum appear to be long gone judging by the performances on Saturday of 25-year-old prop forwards Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander.

"I'm happy with the way the group's coming together," Deans told reporters. "It's a young group but they've grown in maturity on and off the field and that inevitably manifests itself in time."

He added: "We are stoked this group took the step they did today (Saturday). We have been close but the boys got it done today."

In view of this impressive display - orchestrated superbly by fly-half and man-of-the-match Matt Giteau, a relatively aged 27, it seemed astonishing to recall that only a week earlier Australia had lost 9-8 at Murrayfield.

That was their first defeat by Scotland in 27 years and even Saturday's success left Australia with a record for 2009 of six wins, a draw and seven losses, albeit six of those reverses came against world champions South Africa and the perennial powerhouses that are the All Blacks.

If the Wallabies are to win an unprecedented third World Cup in Deans's native New Zealand in two years' time, they are likely to have to beat at least three strong sides, possibly four, in as many weeks.

Asking this emerging side to match the 1984 Wallabies by completing a grand slam of wins against England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on the one trip, was always going to be tough, especially with the four internationals on consecutive weekends.

But playing five Tests - the Wallabies' tour started with a 32-19 loss to New Zealand in Tokyo on October 31 - in as many weeks made it all the tougher.

Still, in horse-racing parlance, Australia are sure to be 'better for the run' of a tour such as this.

And had not Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll's last-ditch try rescued a 20-20 draw a couple of weeks ago, who knows what might have happened to Australia on this trip?

However, 'what ifs?' don't do it for Deans.

"You play Test rugby on the day," the former All Black said. "There is just no point in trying to connect the dots between matches.

"A week is a long time in this game as we have just seen."

Consistency and youth, as is often the case beyond the touchline, do not always sit well alongside one another in sport.

But Australia don't have to be consistent now if they are to win the 2011 World Cup.

AFP

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