Australia 29
Argentina 15
Australia have set up a final date with their fiercest rivals and reigning champions New Zealand next Saturday after dismissing a courageous Argentinian side this evening at Twickenham.
The Wallabies ran in four trys, including an Adam Ashley-Cooper hat-trick, in a helter-skelter game of open running rugby to return to rugby's grandest stage after a 12 year absence.
It was stark in contrast to yesterday's brutally physical semi-final, as both sides played an expansive brand of rugby which contributed to the contest as a spectacle but was ultimately the downfall of the South Americans.
Argentina's inexperience at this level was ruthlessly punished by the Wallabies, as twice they crossed the whitewash to blitz their opponents early on.
After there impressive dismantling of Ireland last week, Los Pumas came into this game high on confidence but couldn't have asked for a worse start when Rob Simmons raced over for the quickest try in this years edition of the World Cup.
The lock got his hands on an attempted inside pass by Nicolas Sanchez and raced under the posts from 30 yards, punishing the Argentines for trying to play rugby so close to their own line. Foley converted and before anyone knew it the Aussies were seven points to the good.
Sanchez hit back with a penalty when David Pocock, who gave another masterclass at the breakdown, was pinged for offside. When this went over it was clear who the neutrals were shouting for, but there was a vociferous Argentinian support, including the great Diego Maradona draped in his national flag up in the stands.
While it all added to the theatre of the occasion, it had little impact on the field as Adam Ashley-Cooper went over for his first of the day after 14 minutes, again Los Pumas were the architects of their own downfall.
Winning a penalty on his 22', Santiago Cordero tried a quick tap and go but only knocked it on, giving the Wallabies the scrum from which they scored from first phase possession, Bernard Foley floating a beautiful pass wide to his wing who capitalised on Juan Imhoff's poor position. Foley converted and it was 14-3.
Sanchez kicked another three after winning a penalty from the scrum, a source of much joy for the Argies, but it was about to get worse for them as Tomas Lavanini chopped down Israel Folau but Wayne Barnes adjudged it illegal and worthy of a yellow card. Cue a chorus of boos for what seemed a harsh decision at best.
Ashley-Cooper added his second try while Lavanini was in the bin, this time Matt Giteau turned provider with a beautiful looped pass over a stretched Pumas defence.
It wasn't all doom and gloom for Arhentina as Foley missed the conversion and Sanchez added another penalty before the break, meaning there was just a 10 point deficit to recover, and despite losing Imhoff & Creevy to injury, their scrum was more than dominant.
The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, with Sanchez and Foley exchanging penalties before the Argentine fly-half cut the gap to just seven after 55 minutes. However, for all their endeavour, the fourth Rugby Championship side couldn't cross the whitewash as Pocock, Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy led the Wallaby charge in defence.
The game remained in the balance up until the 72nd minute when a stunning break fron Drew Mitchell sent Ashley-Cooper over to seal the win and set-up a date with the All Blacks next Saturday.
Working off a maul, Nick Phipps, on for the masterly Will Genia, went left to Mitchell who left five defenders for dead before releasing his opposite wing.
Foley converted and Argentina huffed and puffed to pull off a miracle that would never come. They will have to settle for bronze at best.
Match Highlights
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