England 16-12 Scotland | Rugby World Cup match report

• England 16-12 Scotland • Watch World Cup video highlights, interviews and more England trailed for all bar 12 minutes of a typically tense tussle against the oldest rivals but there was only one point, which lasted little more than a minute, when they were looking at an early return home. A try by Chris Ashton three minutes from the end all but confirmed Scotland’s departure, the first time they have failed to make the World Cup quarter-finals, while England will take on France in Auckland having beaten Les Bleus in three previous knock-out matches. The victory came at a cost for England. Jonny Wilkinson, who had another poor night with the boot, suffered a shoulder injury while Mike Tindall limped off. Scotland, for the third consecutive match, failed to score a try, and they will only make the quarter-finals if Argentina lose to Georgia on Sunday and fail to score four tries or claim a bonus point. England’s policy of containment only changed on 56 minutes when Scotland went 12-3 ahead, enough to take them to the top of the group. Then Wilkinson, who had lacked his customary assurance, made his most telling contribution, nailing a long drop goal with his wrong foot to puncture Scotland at the very moment hope had turned into belief. Wilkinson spent some 45 minute practising his goal-kicking during the warm-up for all the good it did him. He missed three kicks in four minutes at the start of the second quarter after Scotland had taken a 6-0 lead, one to the left, one to the right and the other short. At least the officials did not worry about England switching balls after a try in the opening half. They did not come anywhere near the Scottish line having been on the back foot from the outset. Scotland marauded, quickly recycling possession and changing the direction of attacks. They set a high tempo and England responded by infringing, on the floor and in the set pieces. They conceded five penalties in quick succession, both props blown in the scrum and Dan Cole and Tom Croft caught where they should not be on the floor. England’s only tactic initially seemed to be to launch high kicks through Wilkinson. He had some success and after Scotland had ran back on, the fly-half Ruaridh Jackson tweaked a hamstring and was replaced by Dan Parks. It was Parks’s sort of evening, a blustery wind preceded by drizzly rain. Eden Park resembled Murrayfield in April, even if the England supporters were not outnumbered. Parks had only been on the field for four minutes when he gave Scotland the lead, kicking a penalty after Cole had taken down a scrum. Scotland seemed to enjoy trying to rile Cole. They never missed a chance to pat him on the head after a break in play and give the prop a few words of advice. There was no discernible reaction and in a way it summed up the first 40 minutes: Scotland pumped up and England passive. Scotland ran a couple of penalties, Mike Blair earning their second penalty after Cole infringed again, failing to roll away after a tackle. Parks made it 6-0 after the video referee was asked to rule on whether the ball had gone over the bar with the touch judge Nigel Owens not sure. England’s line-out was little better than their scrum with Steve Thompson twice missing his target but after Scotland forced another turnover, Ross Ford was penalised for holding on and Scotland loosened their grip. Wilkinson missed the resulting 45-metre penalty, was short from halfway when Allan Jacobsen entered a ruck from the side and after England had taken play through a few phases, Manu Tuilagi getting involved for the first time, Richie Vernon flopped off his feet but still Wilkinson could not find his range. He eventually succeeded on 33 minutes after Ford had entered a ruck from the side but Parks, who had earlier seen a drop goal attempt drop just short, ended the half with a successful drop shot to make it 9-3 at the interval, a lead but not big enough to take Scotland into the last eight. England had more purpose after a half-time lecture. Delon Armitage got to within six metres of the Scottish line after being freed by Tuilagi before being halted by Chris Paterson and they enjoyed some midfield thrusts from scrums. They lacked the points from Wilkinson’s boot. He missed a drop goal attempt from virtually in front of the posts after Lewis Moody had stripped the ball from Richie Vernon as the No 8 set off from a scrum in his own 22. If Scotland had set the early pace, England were starting to make their strength tell but a Parks interception relieved pressure and took play 60 metres downfield. England were doing better at the breakdown, arriving quicker, but a quick Scottish attack nearly resulted in a try when Mike Blair just failed to gather his own kick. Moody left the field with a blood injury before a scrum five metres from his line. Euan Murray again forced Stevens to drop the scrum. Parks made it 12-3 and now Scotland had something to defend. A minute later, England were back in safe territory. Wilkinson dropped a right-footed goal from 40 metres, but had a left-footed attempt charged down five minutes later that sparked a frantic Scottish counter, but Chris Ashton – he was playing – hoofed downfield, Tom Palmer pinched the line-out and when Gray flopped off-side, Wilkinson cut the deficit to three points. Parks exposed a gap in England’s defence out wide with a raking diagonal, but it was Gray competing with Croft to be first to the touchdown rather than a three-quarter and England survived. Scotland had now gone nearly four hours in the World Cup without scoring a try. They continued to run from deep but England scrambled well in defence and looked the stronger side going into the final 10 minutes. Wilkinson missed his fourth penalty of the night after Ford had been caught holding on but when Toby Flood came on it was in place of the limping Mike Tindall. When Joe Ansbro got away from Tuilagi down the right, he was tackled into touch by Flood. Wilkinson left the field five minutes from the end with a shoulder injury but England’s resolve had set and after they drove a line-out, they went through the phases before Ashton, who had hardly had a pass all night, was worked into space. Flood converted and England could contemplate flaky France and another riveting Six Nations affair. Rugby World Cup 2011 England rugby union team Scotland rugby union team Rugby union Paul Rees guardian.co.uk

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