Having beaten Italy, England and France on their November travels, the Wallabies were seeking to make it four out of four in Europe in a game that marked the centenary of fixtures between the two nations.
But a ferociously committed Welsh side met them head-on and gave the 74,314 side something to savour.
“It was a real contest out there. It was a good performance from Wales and very much what we expected from them,” said Deans.
“I think Wales are better equipped than the other countries to go into the Six Nations in the new year and do well. If you look at the number of line-breaks they created, and look at their resilience, they have all the attributes that serve you well as a team.
“They should take a lot of belief and confidence out of being the only European side to beat a southern hemisphere team this autumn.
“Warren Gatland has made a big difference to them and they are a better team now than when they won the Grand Slam. They are playing good rugby, playing with width and ambition and they push the boundaries in defence.
“Their conditioning has improved, their collective understanding is better and they are working hard together to play better rugby.
“Over the past three weeks they have proved they can challenge the southern hemisphere sides.”
