Shane Williams column: Finally, Wales are learning from Wallaby heartbreaks

Warren Gatland should have the last 20 minutes of the game against England on repeat in the Wales team room this week to break their Wallaby jinx.
Wales have suffered at the hands of Australia in recent times more than any other nation. The All Blacks are the only other side we have lost to with similar consistency but not in the same heartbreaking fashion.
I was involved in many of those last-minute defeats and it never got any easier, in fact the more it happened the worse it got. We would dominate games for 65 minutes but then just seemed to come up with more imaginative ways of losing Test matches!
No more so was that the case than in 2012. We lost three Tests in Australia by a combined deficit of 11 points, including late penalties in the second and third Tests.  Then we thought we had them back in Cardiff later that year, only for Kurtley Beale to score with only seconds remaining.
Honestly, they were among the painful defeats I ever experienced in my career.
But I was also part of the wins in 2005 and 2008 and it was no coincidence they were both in Grand Slam years.  You have to have confidence to beat the Wallabies so this week Wales have to believe they can do it.
They certainly have the ability and the fitness. Now it just comes down to the mental barrier.
Wales’ performance at Twickenham was incredible and perhaps a sign they had actually learned from all those late defeats to Australia. It was a flip reverse of those games. They spent most of the game second best but had the leadership that we have possibly lacked in the past to stay calm, keep control and had the know-how to snatch the win late on. I have to admit, it felt good.
Wales showed they can play to the final minute and they will have to make sure they play to the final second against Australia.
The concern is at the scrum. In the past that has been an area we have dominated in these games and given the likes of George North and Jamie Roberts plenty of ammunition.
But it just hasn’t functioned so far this World Cup and something needs to be done quickly because Australia are no longer pushovers in that department. In fact, judging by recent shows, they may actually fancy their chances.
I hate to bang on about Adam Jones again, but it does make you wonder. At least Paul James could be available to save Gethin Jenkins being flogged again after putting in two huge shifts in successive games.
It’s probably the most rugby he has played in a single week for years.
It will also be good to see Liam Williams back – again. Let’s just hope he can make it through 80 minutes because he is an exciting player and rock solid at full-back.
Hopefully we will play with more control and structure than we did against Fiji.
We looked good in the first half and at 17-3, we should have finished the game. But we butchered a couple of great scoring chances that would have done just that and allowed Fiji back in.
They scored a great try and suddenly at 17-13, it was hearts in mouth time. I must admit watching that game brought back the painful memories of Nantes in 2007 when Fiji knocked us out of the World Cup.
Just as we did then, we went off-script and allowed ourselves to be dragged into their game. The match broke apart, players were kicking loosely and throwing ill-judged passes and Fiji loved it.
It also took its toll on Wales and even the likes of Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton were gasping for breath after 50 minutes. It was a worry but at least we had the composure to see it out.