Byrne races away to score against the Wallabies at the Millennium Stadium © Getty Images

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Lee Byrne cemented his status as one of the rising stars of world rugby with another eye-catching performance in Wales' 21-18 victory over Australia.

Wales carved out their first victory over a southern hemisphere super-power since 2005 - at the 11th attempt and with the victory they also climbed above England to claim fifth place in the International Rugby Board rankings ahead of Monday's 2011 World Cup draw.

The statistics though, were merely a sideshow after try-scorers Shane Williams and Byrne commanded centre-stage to leave a Millennium Stadium full house breathless. Williams was everywhere, conjuring attacking threats from left-wing, right-wing, scrum-half, fly-half and inside centre at various points of an epic encounter.

His 44th Test try, a classic score that he started and finished, will linger long in the memory. It was so good, Williams might never add a better one to his glittering collection. Typically, the move also involved Byrne - and centre Jamie Roberts, who had suffered a fractured skull just two minutes earlier following a sickening collision with Stirling Mortlock that ended the Australian skipper's afternoon.

The full extent of Roberts' remarkable resilience - he continued until almost halfway through the first period - was not apparent to his team mates until he texted them from hospital two hours later. He was detained overnight and, although he is predicted to be fit for the Six Nations opener against Scotland, for sheer courage alone, Roberts deserved to share headline billing with Williams and Byrne.

While Williams teased and tormented the Wallabies, so Byrne excelled in every aspect of a full-back's art - rock-solid defence, prodigious kicking, fearless counter-attacking and running angles that left his audience gasping.

It almost defies belief that little more than a year ago, Byrne was not deemed good enough for a place in the Wales World Cup squad. "I don't think there is anyone better at the moment," said his Ospreys colleague Williams. "When you are playing alongside someone like that, you want to get as close to him as possible and reap the benefits.

"He had a cracking game again - he was tight and safe under the high ball, he counter-attacked well and showed his great kicking game. He is playing extremely well. I work very closely with Lee, and I know what his strengths are.

"He is one of the safest 15s you are going to play with - he is great in the air, he's a good counter-attacker and one of the best in the game."

Byrne has long been linked with a place on the British & Irish Lions' tour to South Africa next summer but he is not getting ahead of himself.

"Obviously every player is targeting a Lions spot. If they said they weren't it would be silly of them," said Byrne. "But genuinely my ambition is to get the Ospreys the Heineken Cup and then there is the Six Nations before you can think about the Lions. It's been a big year, but I'm eager to learn and push on."

Wales dominated a half of each match against South Africa and New Zealand earlier in the month, but ended up beaten and tryless. As in 2005 though, Wales reserved their autumn best until last - and for the Wallabies - to give head coach Warren Gatland his seventh win from 11 games.

But Australia - who were denied a first unbeaten Test tour of Europe since 1996 following victories over Italy, England and France - clung to Wales like leeches despite losing the talismanic Mortlock so prematurely. Wales were never more than an unconverted try ahead until the 77th minute, and that brief eight-point advantage was slashed when wing Digby Ioane's touchdown sparked a frantic finale.

Lock Mark Chisholm had earlier galloped almost 60 metres to score after capitalising on some woeful Welsh lineout work, while fly-half Matt Giteau booted a drop-goal, penalty and conversion.

Ultimately, his opposite number Jones made the difference, contributing 11 points, including a nerveless penalty as the clock ticked down on a titanic tussle. Gatland said: "We are pretty pleased. Someone had to carry the flag for the northern hemisphere, didn't they? I think the last month has shown us we can compete with the best teams in the world.

"We are not quite clinical enough, but we will be critical of our performance and hard on ourselves because we want to continue to improve as a team. I think we have gone a long way to restoring some pride in the jersey and earning respect from some of the best teams in the world."

Lock Alun-Wyn Jones believes Wales still have plenty of room for improvement. "It's funny we won yesterday but we still know there is another 10 or 20% to go and knowing that it is a case of not being stagnant and sitting on our laurels and being satisfied," said the 26-cap forward. The 2009 squad, whatever that is going to be, will keep going forward and it just bodes well.

"Ideally we would have wanted to beat three southern hemisphere sides (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia). What could have happened could have been very special. It could have created a snowball effect, but it didn't happen and we have got one win. And overall two out of four wins (Wales also beat Canada) with two very good performances (against South Africa and New Zealand), even though they were losses.

"Our next focus is the Six Nations. In the past we have been underdogs and sometimes we had a fear of losing maybe. Maybe now we will have a fear of winning. We have got to push forward and ignore what's written in the press or said in the media. The honeymoon period is over with the management. The Six Nations (2008) has gone, the autumn has gone. We are now into the second Six Nations. We really can't wait to get back and be in this environment and represent your country."