Australia claimed third place in the World Cup on Friday. Read about how exactly they overcame Wales right here.
Both sides would, of course, have preferred to be in action in two days' time, but it is France and New Zealand who will play out Sunday's final. Instead, Warren Gatland and Robbie Deans' sides clashed today at Eden Park.
World Cup 3rd/4th Place Playoff Result:
Wales 18-21 Australia
FULL-TIME: WALES 18-21 AUSTRALIA. It's all over. There was a late try each for the two sides, but ultimately the narrow lead that the Aussies had for the majority of the game helped them over the line. They will take home bronze medals, with Wales going home only with their pride - but how proud they should be.
A full report of today's game can be seen here, and make sure you are right back here on Sunday morning to follow the final live as it happens.
80': TRY FOR WALES: And they finish with a try from Halfpenny after Wales work it right across the field for the full back to run in and go over by the posts. Jones converts but there is time for no more.
79': McCalman's try marks a good end to a bit of a mixed bag of a World Cup for Australia. Wales have been a joy to watch at times but it looks like back-to-back defeats now for them.
76': TRY FOR AUSTRALIA: Ben McCalman goes over on the left to seal this one. O'Connor's conversion attempt is pretty awful but that will surely be of no consequence. The Wallabies will get the bronze. Wales will have to settle for fourth.
74': A superb break led by James O'Connor sees the Aussies cut Wales apart, only for North to deny Adam Ashley-Cooper as he looked to cross the line.
71': PENALTY FOR WALES: Stephen Jones takes it this time and rightly so as he kicks over and brings the gap back to five. Wales still have time here, with nine minutes on the clock.
68': DROP GOAL FOR AUSTRALIA: But is Welsh hope now gone? An absolutely splendid kick from man-of-the-match contender Barnes has Australia with a double scores lead of 16-8. Wales have to go for broke now!
66': O'Connor kicks a well-directed penalty from way out but it drops just short and is collected in front of the posts by a Welsh pair of hands. That reprieve means there is less than a converetd try betwen the sides and Gatland's men still have hope.
64': It's a bit early to be running out of ideas but some strong Wallabies defending has just frustrated Williams enough into attempting an unwise drop goal. It goes wide to the left and Australia's lead stays at five points.
60': 20 minutes to go for these sides. Wales need to start all over again and they will get nothing easy from this bruising Austrlian outfit.
'57: PENALTY FOR AUSTRALIA: Wales, Wales, Wales! A careless concession of a penalty has allowed O'Connor to add three more. Wales are now a try adrift of their opponents.
52': PENALTY FOR AUSTRALIA: From range on the right, O'Connor kicks the Wallabies back into the lead. Wales did not keep their advantage for long. If only they, Hook in particular, had kicked better.
49': TRY FOR WALES. Shane Williams has gone over. A super turnover from Wales leads to Hook playing the ball left into Williams' path. The veteran wing needs two clever kicks to take the ball forward and escape clear before grounding close to the left corner. The conversion is missed by Hook but Wales are in front for the first time today.
47': Nathan Sharpe's 100th Wallabies cap, and his World Cup for that matter, has passed. He did well to carry on after that early knock at the line-out, but has now been called aside by Deans as Rob Simmons goes on.
45': Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. James Hook has a penalty slightly to the right but not from great range and he has manged to cut it wide to the left. How many more chances like that can his side miss at these finals?
41': We're back underway at Eden Park. These sides have just 40 minutes' worth of their World Cup left. Who will finish the stronger and take the bronze?
HALF-TIME: WALES 3-7 AUSTRALIA. That's half-time and a low-scoring affair has the Wallabies 7-3 ahead at half-time. A lot of players have taken knocks with those Australian injuries and Wales wing George North, among others, suffering a blood injury. Hopefully, the second half will see less knocks and more points.
38': Leigh Halfpenny, suprisingly, is called on to take a penalty from closer range than he is used to. He misses it to the right and the four-point gaop remains.
36': No change to the score as the battle continues. Ryan Jones is impressing for Wales, but they have been forced back a lot more than they would have liked.
Meanwhile, New Zealand boss Graham Henry has gone for an unchanged side for Sunday's semi-final against France, who named their team earlier in the week.
30': A Paul James foul led to a penalty for Australia but O'Connor's effort came back off the upright. The same player was then almost in for a try but the ball did not bounce for him and his side's lead remains at just four points.
24': It looks like knee ligament damage for Cooper whose World Cup never really got going. It was a great delayed pass from hom for Barnes' try earlier today though.
20': Cooper is injured now and has been replaced by Saia Fainga'a. The Aussies are losing a lot of key men to knocks. Rob Horne had earlier replaced Beale.
17': PENALTY FOR WALES: James Hook gets his side on the board after the Welsh regroup and James Slipper is penalised. This game is being played in great intensity. Who says these bronze medal games don't matter?
'11: TRY FOR AUSTRALIA: Berrick Barnes has gone over for his first try of the tournament following Quade Cooper's offload on the back of an easily won scrum. James O'Connor converts and the Welsh are seven adrift.
9': Sharpe has played on after that knock to the knee, but Kurtley Beale's day looks over. His hamstring looks to have gone again, just as his side had looked close to getting to the Welsh line.
4': A worrying early knock for Australia's Nathan Sharpe but still no score. Wales and the Wallabies met in this game in 1987 as well - and on that day the Welsh were the winners.
3': A confident start from the Welsh but there is nothing on the scoreboard just yet.
1': And we're off and running in the battle for the bronze medal. It's Wales v Australia at Eden Park.
08.29: The national anthems have been sung and we are ready to go.
08.25: Wales' efforts to reach the final were scuppered by the French back on Saturday as Les Bleus won out 9-8. Australia, meanwhile, were eased aside by hosts and great rivals New Zealand. Who will bounce back today?
08.22: Deans has overhauled his side for today's game, while Adam Jones' injury and Sam Warburton's suspension following his semi-final red card mean there are changes to the Wales side as well. Today's teams are as follows:
Australia: K Beale; J O'Connor, A Ashley-Cooper, B Barnes, D Ioane; Q Cooper, W Genia; J Slipper, T Nau, S Ma'afu; J Horwill, N Sharpe; S Higginbotham, D Pocock, B McCalman.
Replacements: S Faingaa, B Alexander, R Simmons, R Samo, L Burgess, A Faingaa, R Horne.
Wales: L Halfpenny; G North, J Davies, J Roberts, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; R Jones, T Faletau, D Lydiate; L Charteris, B Davies; P James, H Bennett, G Jenkins.
Replacements: L Burns, R Bevington, A Wyn Jones, A Powell, L Williams, S Jones, S Williams.