MARSEILLE, France, 7 October 2007 — Jonny Wilkinson sank Australia again, kicking defending champions England to a 12-10 win yesterday in a World Cup quarterfinal that exceeded the hype.
This time, though, the Australians had been expected to win against an England side considered nowhere near the quality of the squad that beat them for the title in Sydney four years ago. Australia scored the only try, winger Lote Tuqiri’s first since June, but lacked backline cohesion and the forward were no match for the big England pack.
Wilkinson did the rest, landing four penalty goals to propel England to a semifinal against the winner of later quarterfinal between New Zealand and France in Cardiff. “We will celebrate the victory, but we also celebrate the opportunity to play another game,” said Wilkinson, who praised the England forward for out-muscling Australia and strangling the supply of quality ball to the Wallaby backs.
The flyhalf, whose extra-time dropped goal clinched England’s 20-17 win in the 2003 final, became the leading points scorer in the tournament’s history with his second goal. He has taken the mark to 234.
England had been in decline on the international scene four years, while Australia had recovered from its own slump in 2005 to come in with a No. 2 ranking.
Fullback Jason Robinson said nobody outside of the squad had given England a chance. England had seven players returning from the 2003 final, including 36-year-old center Mike Catt, a late inclusion for injured Andy Farrell. The Australians had nine World Cup finalists in their squad. On form in the group stage, when the English were humiliated 36-0 by South Africa, Australia should have won easily. But a week of psychological warfare ensured another epic battle between two fierce sporting rivals. Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill started it by saying Australians “hated” the English. Coach John Connolly added to it by announcing he’d asked the referees to closely monitor England hooker Mark Regan to ensure he didn’t cheat. Connolly predicted niggle, and England delivered it. But Connolly asked his team not to react. They did, delivering scoring chances to England ace Wilkinson. Wilkinson started the Stade Velodrome match needing five points to equal Scotland’s Gavin Hastings’ record of 227 World Cup points. He overhauled that when he gave England a 6-3 lead in the 27th with his second penalty in four minutes. He missed two shots and a dropped goal before half time, with Australia taking a 10-6 lead at the break. But he landed two more penalties in the 51st and 60th minutes to give England a two-point buffer. Wilkinson’s attempted dropped goal drifted wide in the 66th minute, as did his penalty shot from behind halfway in the 75th. But when Australia captain Stirling Mortlock had a chance to snatch a late victory, his 47-meter attempt into the breeze just missed. Mortlock was disappointed with two missed penalties that might have made the difference. Connolly said the difference was England’s supremacy in the scrum and at the breakdown. The Australians didn’t help themselves. Stephen Moore’s backward attempted clearance in the first half and Tuqiri’s inability to find touch from inside his own quarter midway through the second led to two of England’s two penalty goals.
Paul Sackey had a big influence on the outcome, coming off his wing to shut down a 4-on-2 attacking situation with a ball-and-all tackle on Australian fullback Chris Latham that saved a certain try in the 62nd minute.
The Australians had opportunities in attack but were not consistent.
The English surprised by spreading the ball and tearing into the tackle area in the opening 30 minutes. They played enterprising rugby far from the one-dimensional, 10-man play predicted of them and coach Brian Ashton said it was probably the best anyone had played against Australia in the last two years.
Australia started to look dangerous with the ball in hand with Latham, Tuqiri and Mortlock all making breaks or half breaks before Tuqiri pushed off Josh Lewsey and scrambled over after six phases of attack in the 33rd minute.
But the opportunities were too infrequent. Australia missed the direction of injured flyhalf Stephen Larkham, who is now in international retirement along with scrumhalf and former captain George Gregan, whose record 139th and last test cap was the loss to England.
