Robbie Deans has challenged his under-achieving Wallabies to show the same grit in Saturday's spring tour-ending Test against Wales as his second-stringers displayed in their hoodoo-busting victory over Cardiff on Tuesday night.

Against the odds, the Wallabies' mid-weekers restored some credibility to the gold jumper after Saturday's diabolical loss to Scotland with a spirited 31-3 victory that left Deans feeling proud as punch.

The tourists lost teenage five-eighth Matt Toomua in the third minute with a broken jaw, then played a quarter of the game with only 14 men while back-rowers Richard Brown and Matt Hodgson spent stints in the sin bin and also overcame an unfavourable 20-9 penalty count to notch an historic win in the Welsh capital.

In one of the more bizarre records in sport, the Wallabies had lost all six previous encounters with Cardiff dating back to the two sides' first meeting in 1908.

"It's a good fillip for the group, particularly because they played with spirit and played as one," Deans said.

"I would certainly hope this will rub off (on the Test team). We're luck to have that opportunity, to be honest. To have to go into the summer on the back of that last performance wouldn't be pleasant."

Fullback James O'Connor, dual tryscorer Kurtley Beale, who played out of position on the left wing, flanker Hodgson and crash-tackling hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau were the stars for the Wallabies.

It was also a particularly memorable night for teenage sevens star Luke Morahan, who celebrated his Wallabies debut off the bench in style with a 25-metre try in the dying minutes.

Morahan was only drafted into the squad last week but couldn't believe his luck after fellow debutant Richard Kingi sent him on a clear run to the line with a beautiful pass just minutes after himself being thrust into the Wallabies fray for the very first time.

"It's great for those blokes to get their careers underway," Deans said.

"Unlucky for Matty Toomua to break his jaw but I guess it's tinged with happiness as well; he wore the Wallaby jersey for the first time."

Quade Cooper felt a sense of deja vu having to replace Toomua in eerily similar circumstances to last year's trip to Cardiff.

On that occasion, Cooper had to replace Stirling Mortlock in just the third minute in Australia's Test at Millennium Stadium after the then Wallabies captain was wiped out in a sickening head clash that fractured the skull of Welsh centre Jamie Roberts.

The more games the better for Cooper, who has no concerns about having to back up on Saturday for a third match in eight days.

"I'd play footy if we could play Monday, Tuesday and every day of the week," Cooper said.

"To get out there mid-week and have a Test on a Saturday, that's what we play footy for - to play as much footy as we can."

The Wallabies trailed 3-0 early after fullback Ben Blair struck a fifth-minute penalty goal for Cardiff, but went to the sheds in control leading 17-3 after converted tries to Beale and centre Ryan Cross, plus an O'Connor penalty goal.

Aided by the whistle-happy referee, Cardiff kept the Wallabies at bay in the second half until Morahan and Beale both crossed in the dying minutes.

O'Connor, who looked dangerous whenever he handled the ball, converted both tries for an 11-point personal haul from a flawless night with the boot.

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