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England face ‘biggest game of their careers’, Lancaster admits

Australia and Wales are now guaranteed the top two places in Pool A, and tickets to the quarter-finals. The Wallabies will play Wales next weekend to decide who finishes top of the pool of death.

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Australia coach Michael Cheika punched the air with delight as the final whistle went.

Asked if he could lose his job following England’s exit, he said: “Yes”.

“The past experience when we’ve played against Australia we’ve done well recently but it doesn’t count for anything tomorrow”.

“They have had a poor last 20 minutes against Wales and today in the last 20 minutes they were taken to the cleaners”.

“We’ve still got another week to go”.

“During the last three years we’ve put in a few pretty good performances, but on the day Australia were better”, Lancaster told BBC Radio 5 live.

Sky’s Tom Parmenter, who was at Twickenham, said sombre England fans would be heading home disappointed. I don’t think we will be resting too many players, but obviously that’s down to the boss.

Defeat at Twickenham would spell the end of England’s World Cup campaign but Hodgson feels Farrell can have an important role in avoiding such ignominy.

Foley was regarded as one of the most ordinary fly-halves produced by Australia, but that view dissolved in the first half as he helped himself to two tries.

Giteau played on and capped off his night with a try in the final minute, continuing his incredible World Cup renaissance.

Leaving out specialist center George Burrell for rugby league import Sam Burgess, whom his club preferred at No. 8, also backfired on England, when it panicked on the eve of the Wales game, and tore up a settled, rewarding and popular gameplan.

That is why Gatland, despite being a proud New Zealander, will be urging on Australia at Twickenham tonight when victory for the Wallabies will spare Wales a nerve-jangling all-or-nothing clash the following week.

Australia number eight David Pocock had his say on Twitter after the match.

Australia then won a penalty off a scrum – England’s supposed area of strength.

Foley landed his second penalty early in the second half, provoking a sense of urgency in the hosts that resulted in a spell of sustained pressure which ended when Watson squeezed between two gold shirts after profiting from smart hands by Joe Launchbury.

When the knockout stage starts, they’ll join the ranks of the spectators.

A Wallabies mistake led to an England penalty, with Farrell making the kick from straight in front to narrow the gap to a converted try with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.

Foley trailed and moments later Beale drew the fullback and returned the favour for his no. 10, who scored again and added the conversion to make it 17 points next to his name.

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But, England lost any chance of a revival when first-five Owen Farrell was sin binned for an illegal tackle.

Five things learned from England v Australia