Wilkinson kicks England to shock win

Defending champions prove to be the Wallabies nemesis again as they beat the tournament favourites 12—10

MARSEILLE: Defending champions England again proved Australia’s nemesis dumping the match favourites out of the Rugby World Cup with a high-pressured 12-10 quarter-final victory at Stade Velodrome here on Saturday.

England, who downed the Wallabies in the 2003 final in extra-time and the 1995 quarter-final both with drop goals, handled the high stakes better and came home from 10-6 down at halftime to advance to next weekend’s semi-final against New Zealand or France in Paris.

England, with Jonny Wilkinson setting a new World Cup points-scoring career record, had the Australians under continual pressure for most of the game with the Wallabies rarely able to get any flow against the tenacious Englishmen. Wilkinson again proved the winning difference just as he was in Sydney four years ago with his extra-time drop goal, kicking four penalties with the Wallabies scoring the only try of the match through winger Lote Tuqiri.

The dominant English forwards won their battle and the Australians looked hesitant at times with scrum-half George Gregan slow to keep up with the play and rookie fly-half Berrick Barnes under pressure in his big test as injured Stephen Larkham’s replacement. Stirling Mortlock had 47-metre shot at penalty goal to win it for the Wallabies with two minutes left but it went wide.

“Every man and his dog had written us off but we can rise to the occasion,” said England winger Jason Robinson. “Only 30 people in the world believed we could do it. We are in this to win it and hopefully we can go all the way.”

The Wallabies began well and had three penalty attempts in the first 12 minutes before England got their momentum flowing with a strong passage of play, switching angles and forwards driving the ball downfield.

Wilkinson broke the World Cup point-scoring record of 227 points by Scotland’s Gavin Hastings with his second penalty goal to kick England to a 6-3 lead in the 26th-minute after Stirling Mortlock’s seventh-minute penalty.

But England took the game to the Wallabies and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions before Mike Catt lost the ball for Matt Giteau to clear the danger.

The first scrum came after 11 minutes and broke up with punches flying after three collapses. Irish referee Alain Rolland whistled a penalty to the Australians. The Wallabies looked rattled for a time with passes from Gregan and Barnes going astray under grinding England pressure.

But the Australians hit back seven minutes before halftime when after six phases they flung the ball along the backs where Giteau and Mortlock made an opening for winger Lote Tuqiri to break his try-scoring drought and scoring in the right-corner.