While the performance wasn't perfect, the Wallabies continued their dominance over Wales by chalking up a 13th consecutive victory against their northern hemisphere rivals and maintain an overall unbeaten streak of seven games.

The Wallabies have now played matches in Africa, South America, Australia, Asia and Europe across the last six weeks but appear to be rather settled after a disappointing first few Tests of 2017.

"I was happy with that ... we'd done a lot travel," Cheika said. "[We] had guys come back from injury and I thought we showed a lot of character out there against a Welsh team that played quite well. We obviously had a huge penalty count against us as well, so we just showed a lot of character.

"When it doesn't always go for you from your attack, which it really didn't for us today, probably because it was punctuated by that many fouls, your defence has to stand up and be your insurance.

"I thought our finishers really excelled ... put bodies on line. "The Welsh threw everything at us and we'd looked at the last 12 months and the majority of points the Welsh score are in the final 20 minutes."

Captain Michael Hooper added: "It's becoming a bit of a thing for us against this Welsh team. [There have been] a couple of times where our team has just hung in with a lot of character.

"A really satisfying win. The insurance of defence really does show the character of the team. The willingness of team to get off the ground and work for each other was hugely pleasing.

"It'll be a different week altogether this one coming up ... a lot less travel but we'll savour this win; a sweet win."

Australia went into half-time with a 22-13 lead thanks to tries from hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, Adam Coleman and Hooper.

Wales fought back late but a dogged defensive effort from the Wallabies and a superb steal from Kurtley Beale in the 63rd minute saw Australia's fullback give his team what proved to be the match-winning try.

"If Kurtley Beale hadn't have scored that freakish try there was a good chance we could have finished and won the game," said Wales coach Warren Gatland said. "Against a side of that quality you've just got to be a little bit more clinical."

While thrilled with the tenacity of his team, Cheika couldn't help but express his displeasure at some refereeing calls after the Wallabies were penalised five times more than their opponents and forced to play with 14 men in the dying stages.

"Consistency is what we are looking for," Cheika said. "We go inside the 10-metre and we're penalised. Fair enough. Then two plays later the linesman calls the ref and says the Welsh are inside the five metre off a scrum and he says it's all good?

"There was just so much commentary coming from the sidelines.

"We've got to solve a problem we haven't had all year. We've not been in double digits almost all year, so to go 15 in our first game in Europe surprised me ... and lose a player too."

With wins over Japan and Wales to start their spring tour campaign, the Wallabies need victories against England (Twickenham) and Scotland (Murrayfield) over the next two weeks to become the first Australian team to finish a four-or-more week spring tour undefeated since 1996.

Will Genia was named man-of-the-match and the highlight of his outing was a bullet pass to Coleman that resulted in a try.

Hooper made the most runs of any forward (10) and most tackles of any Wallabies player before he was sent off.

It was a day of records for the Wallabies captain. Not only did he become Australia's most prolific forwards tryscorer but now also has the distinction of being the equal-most yellow-carded player in Test history.