The Wallabies have ushered in the Joe Schmidt era with a tense 25-16 win over Wales in Sydney.

Ten months after suffering a humiliating 40-6 loss to the Welsh that ultimately sent Australia crashing out of the Rugby World Cup, the Wallabies gained a small semblance of revenge on Saturday night.

The Wallabies and Wallaroos played as part of a double-header at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.

For the Wallabies, an electrifying 68-metre solo try in the 66th minute to in-form fullback Tom Wright sealed victory in front of 35,945 fans at Allianz Stadium.

Powerhouse prop Taniela Tupou and winger Filipo Daugunu also crossed, while Jake Gordon celebrated his recall to the Test arena after missing Eddie Jones' World Cup squad with a dazzling man-of-the-match display.

Only seven Wallabies from that record-breaking loss to Wales survived as Schmidt rolled out a new-look team for his first Test as coach.

And he was rewarded with a gritty, if unspectacular performance from the Wallabies.

Tom Lynagh, the 21-year-old son of 1991 World Cup-winning legend Michael, earned a debut off the bench, directing the Wallabies home after being injected with 14 minutes remaining.

But the match was hardly a classic, with the ninth-ranked Australians emerging victorious after a bruising, error-laden arm-wrestle.

Schmidt had inherited one of the most ill-disciplined sides in world rugby, and would not have been impressed with serial offender James Slipper conceding a penalty in the opening two minutes.

But the Wallabies were also down to 14 men when flanker Fraser McReight was yellow-carded trying to stop a Welsh driving maul.

The penalty try drew Wales back to within three points at half-time, despite the Wallabies enjoying a huge possession and territorial advantage and having to make a third of the amount of tackles as their opposition.

Scores were all locked up at 13-13 early in the second stanza before Dauguno popped up in the midfield, accelerated through the defence and raced 30 metres to slide over in the right-hand corner.

Hearts were in mouths when Welsh replacement James Botham crashed over from a maul, only for the television match official to rule an obstruction in the lead-up.

Lolesio bombed a try at the other end with a needless kick when the Wallabies had an overlap five metres out from the line.

Up 18-16, Schmidt substituted Lolesio for Lynagh, who became the 12th Australian to follow his father into the Test cauldron.

Fittingly, Lynagh had a hand in Wright's try, fielding a raking kick and sending the ball to his fullback, who burned the defence in a blazing run to end a horror sequence for the Wallabies in Sydney.

They had won only one of their previous 12 Tests in the NSW capital.

Four-try hero Miller leads Wallaroos to thumping win

Earlier in the evening, the Wallaroos snapped a three-match losing streak with a storming 64-5 victory over Fijiana in Sydney.

A record-equalling four-try haul from prolific winger Desiree Miller fired Australia to its first Test win since November.

But while Miller lit up the Sydney Football Stadium with a first-half hat-trick and another five-pointer after the break, the 22-year-old flyer was far from the only stand-out.

The Wallaroos had stars across the park, with number eight Piper Duck putting in an outstanding performance, and halves Layne Morgan and Arabella McKenzie sparking endless attacking raids.

Centres Cecilia Smith and Georgina Friedrichs fed their teammates beautifully, while skipper Michaela Leonard, her second-row partner Kaitlan Leaney and prop Brianna Hoy were all powerhouses in a dominant Wallaroos pack.

Smith, prop Eva Karpani and reserve forwards Siokapesi Palu, Trilleen Pomare, Tiarna Molloy and Bridie O'Gorman also crossed in the 10-tries-to-one rout.

The night, though, belonged to Miller, who entered the history books as the first Australian woman to bag four tries in a Test since Ruan Sims against South Africa at the 2006 World Cup in Canada.

The fifth-ranked Wallaroos had been desperate to atone for finishing last in this year's Pacific Four series, following losses to New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

The one-sided victory certainly did not look on the cards when winger Adita Milinia crossed for the opening try of the match to give the Fijians a 5-0 lead after 12 minutes.

But the Wallaroos never looked back after Miller collected her first two tries, in the space of three minutes, to hit the front.

The hosts led 22-5 at the break after Karpani touched down from a driving maul and Miller completed her first-half treble.

There was no let-up after the break as the Wallaroos ultimately piled on 64 unanswered points after their early defensive breach.

Celebrations will likely be short-lived as Jo Yapp's side prepares to face New Zealand next Sunday in Brisbane, less than two months after copping a 67-19 hiding from the Black Ferns in Auckland.

AAP