LONDON, Oct 19 — Australia’s last gasp win over Scotland yesterday made it an all Southern Hemisphere semi-final line up for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Australia’s 35-34 victory over the Scots sealed a semi-final berth back at Twickenham next Sunday against Argentina. The Pumas thrashed Six Nations champions Ireland 43-20 earlier in Cardiff.

After a disastrous weekend for European sides, two-time world champions South Africa will play defending titleholders New Zealand in the other semi-final at Twickenham on Saturday. South Africa beat Wales 23-19 while the All Blacks crushed France 62-13 on Saturday.

Australia’s hero was Bernard Foley as he landed a last minute penalty, contentiously awarded by South Africa referee Craig Joubert.

“Its a penalty and that’s the way it works. You know they work both ways in all games and that’s life,” said Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.

Foley — who failed to land a kick in the first-half and saw a chip blocked and result in a Scottish try in the second period — repeated his heroics of the Super Rugby final last year when he landed a last minute penalty to break Scottish hearts.

The Scots came agonisingly close to reaching only their second ever semi-final, the last was in 1991, when Mark Bennett intercepted James Slipper’s pass for a try with five minutes remaining.

Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw converted to put his side 34-32 up.

But with the rain pouring down late on — similar to the conditions which saw the Scots beat the Wallabies in Australia in 2012 — the fairytale ended with the last-gasp penalty.

Scotland downhearted

“It is pretty tough,” said Scotland coach Vern Cotter.

The New Zealander, choking back emotion praised “a great performance” by his unfavoured team.

“They never let go, they fought the whole way and its decided by margins isn’t it.”

As for the penalty Cotter said he would look at it later.

“It was an important decision so I will let other people analyse it, I will go back and have a quiet moment, without the emotion and I will look at it then,” said the Kiwi.

For Australia wing Drew Mitchell, who scored two tries to take him to 14 in the World Cup, one behind tournament record holders Bryan Habana and Jonah Lomu, it had been a show of character.

“We were stuck in a dark spot for a while but we managed to get out of it which was very pleasing,” said Mitchell.

There was no such dramatic finale in Cardiff, although the Irish get back to within three points of the Pumas at 23-20.

They had trailed 17-0, to an Argentine side that had been almost to a man in tears at their national anthem rendition, after 15 minutes.

However, it was Argentina who finished the strongest against an Ireland side feeling the effects of losing four key players in the lead-up to the game and the effects of the win over France last Sunday.

Outstanding Pumas wing Juan Imhoff scored his second try of the game and equally impressive fullback Joaquin Tuculet touched down as well to give Argentina a record win over the Irish.

For Argentina it is their second semi-final, having done that in 2007 of whom several of their players survive in the present team. 

“I feel very proud about the way we played and the way we won. And also the way we played at the end because we did everything we could to avoid conceding a try,” said Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade.

His outstanding skipper Agustin Creevy said they had achieved something special.

“Yesterday I was watching the All Blacks wondering when can we win by scoring 40 points and we did that today,” the hooker beamed.

For Ireland coach Joe Schmidt it was a moment to admire his opponents and the leaps and bounds they have taken, especially since being allowed to compete in the Southern Hemisphere competition, the Rugby Championship.

“It’s pretty hard not to respect the performance that Argentina put on,” said Schmidt, who can still take pride in how his side performed generally at the tournament. — AFP