Bernard Foley scored all of his side's points to give Australia a 17-3 lead over England at the halfway stage of their crucial Pool A clash at Twickenham this evening.
Stuart Lancaster's side are looking to avoid becoming the first host nation to be knocked out before the quarter-finals, but they find themselves with a mountain to climb in the second half of their must-win Rugby World Cup showdown.
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The visitors had an early chance to get points on the board when Mike Brown's error handed them a lineout five metres from the England line, but the full-back atoned for his mistake with a try-saving tackle on Israel Folau when Australia had a two-on-one overlap.
Australia kept the pressure on and got the first points on the board through Foley's penalty, but Owen Farrell soon restored parity with a kick of his own from right in front of the posts.
It was the reigning Rugby Championship holders who got the first try of the game, however, eventually breaking through when Foley went over midway through the first half after sustained pressure from Michael Cheika's side.
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The Wallabies continued to be clinical on their visits into England territory, and it was Foley who went over for a second time to extend the visitors' lead following a slick move through the backs.
England put on pressure late in the half, but handling errors proved to be their undoing and they were unable to reduce the deficit before the interval.
Barney Corkhill
