LONDON: Hosts England were eliminated from the Rugby World Cup at the pool stage for the first time after a humiliating 33-13 defeat against Australia that sends the Wallabies and Wales through to the quarter-finals.

Australia and Wales occupy the top two places in Pool ‘A’ with 13 points each after Saturday’s game, leaving England trailing in third place on six points with one pool match remaining.

It was Australia’s highest score and biggest margin of victory over England at Twickenham, where they won the first of their two World Cups by beating the English in the 1991 final.

The Wallabies will play Wales at Twickenham for top spot in the pool before England close their tournament against make-weights Uruguay in Manchester next Saturday evening.

England’s head coach Stuart Lancaster apologised to the home fans who had packed Twickenham.

“Sorry we let everyone down. The last five or 10 minutes we came up short. We have young players and I hope everyone stays behind them,” he said.

Earlier in the day Japan lit up the tournament once again with a 26-5 victory over Samoa in Milton Keynes before South Africa went top of Pool ‘B’ by beating Scotland 34-16 in Newcastle.

Twice world champions South Africa, stunned 34-32 by Japan in their opening match, lead Pool ‘B’ by one point from the Scots, with Japan two points further back. All three have two wins apiece.

The Springboks and Japan both have remaining matches against the United States, who are bottom with no points, while Scotland face Samoa.

South Africans had more than one reason to celebrate on Saturday, however. The late Nelson Mandela, who memorably handed winning captain Francois Pienaar the William Webb Ellis trophy at the 1995 final, was inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame before their win in Newcastle.

Published in Dawn, October 5th , 2015

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