A MAGNIFICENT performance by Scotland just failed to take them into their first World Cup semi-final in 24 years. They were a point ahead of Australia with minutes to play in a breathtaking encounter, but referee Craig Joubert’s controversial award of a penalty two minutes from time allowed the Wallabies to claim a one-point win and go through to a meeting with Argentina.

The match began with both Ross Ford and Jonny Gray in the starting line-up, their three-match suspensions for foul play having been overturned by an RWC appeals committee yesterday. Fraser Brown and Tim Swinson, their respective replacements in the team announced on Friday, went down to the bench, while Kevin Bryce and Alasdair Strokosch dropped out of the squad.

Australia made their intentions clear from the start, running at Scotland through phase after phase and recycling with frightening rapidity. They came very close to claiming the first try of the game after five minutes, but Drew Mitchell could not hold Bernard Foley’s pass as he crossed the line.

The opening score was only delayed, however, and it came three minutes later through Adam Ashley-Cooper. Centre Tevita Kuridrani did the damage, bouncing off a couple of would-be tacklers before slipping the ball to the right winger, who had a clear run to the line. Foley’s conversion attempt was wayward.

Scotland had kicked off, and with ten minutes on the clock their restart from the try was only the second time they had got out of their own half. They put together a concerted drive after collecting from the kick, and were awarded a penalty which captain Greig Laidlaw put between the posts to narrow the gap to 5-3.

After that slow start, they went on to put in their best half of the World Cup by a long way. Another long, determined attack followed, in which David Denton and Richie Gray both had some excellent carries. Deep into the Wallabies 22, and with the defence standing off expecting a pass from the bottom of the ruck, Peter Horne gathered and darted over the line. Laidlaw converted to make it 10-5 to Scotland.

When the Australians collapsed a scrum on their own ten-metre line two minutes later, the No 9 fired home another penalty. Mark Bennett failed to hold a Finn Russell pass on the left close to halfway, and the Australians, usually so composed in defence, continued to look rattled.

But they hit back after half an hour, going close to the Scotland line and sucking bodies in to create an overlap on the left for Mitchell to score their second try. The conversion was missed, then Laidlaw knocked over his third penalty.

Two minutes from half-time the Wallabies kicked a penalty in the Scots 22 to touch. Their lineout drive was held up momentarily, but Michael Hooper took it on and plunged over the line. Foley’s failed conversion attempt was the last kick of the half, meaning the score at the break was 16-15 to Scotland.

Two minutes into the second half, Sean Maitland was debatably yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on on the edge of his own 22, and Australia needed just a minute to take advantage - and regain the lead. They kicked the penalty to touch, drove infield towards the Scottish posts, and then went left, where Mitchell was ideally placed to score his second try of the afternoon. Foley’s conversion was good this time, to put his team 22-16 ahead.

Laidlaw narrowed the gap with his fourth penalty minutes later. Australia went straight back on to the attack and thought they had their fifth try when Ashley-Cooper touched down in the right corner, but the score was chalked off for an earlier knock-on.

Maitland returned just before Foley scored with a penalty from the ten-metre line to restore his team’s six-point lead. Scotland needed to respond with the next score - and they got it just before the hour when Russell charged down a Foley kick and popped up a pass from the deck for Seymour to go over in the left corner. Laidlaw’s conversion was wide of the mark, so Australia were still in the lead at 25-24.

With quarter of an hour to go, Tevita Kuridrani stretched it back out to six points with his team’s fifth try after Scotland had lost a lineout. Foley’s conversion made it eight.

A fifth Laidlaw penalty with 11 minutes to go made it 32-27 and meant the game was a single-score contest again.

With seven minutes left, after a heavy drizzle had begun to descend, Scotland sensationally regained the lead. Bennett intercepted a James Slipper pass to dash in and score under the posts, and Laidlaw added the conversion.

With two minutes on the clock, Australia were erroneously awarded a penalty for offside. Foley stroked the ball between the sticks, and his team were 35-34 winners.

AUSTRALIA: Tries: Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell 2, Hooper, Kuridrani. Cons: Foley 2. Pens: Foley 2.

SCOTLAND: Tries: Horne, Seymour, Bennett. Cons: Laidlaw 2. Pens: Laidlaw 5.

Australia: K Beale; A Ashley-Cooper, T Kuridrani, M Giteau, D Mitchell; B Foley, W Genia (N Phipps 71); S Sio (J Slipper 51), S Moore (T Polota-Nau 62), S Kepu, K Douglas, R Simmons, S Fardy, M Hooper, B McCalman. Unused substitutes: G Holmes, D Mumm, S McMahon, M Toomua, Q Cooper.

Scotland: S Hogg; S Maitland, M Bennett, P Horne (R Vernon 71), T Seymour (S Lamont 63); F Russell, G Laidlaw; A Dickinson (G Reid 48), R Ford (F Brown 54), W Nel (J Welsh 76), R Gray, J Gray (T Swinson 67), B Cowan (J Strauss 67), J Hardie, D Denton. Unused substitute: H Pyrgos.

Referee: C Joubert (South Africa). Attendance: 77,110.