LONDON (AFP) - Australia completed the first leg of a possible grand slam after a strong second-half performance saw them beat England 18-9 at Twickenham here on Saturday.
Adam Ashley-Cooper's try nine minutes from time sealed the Wallabies win as they looked to match the achievement of the 1984 Australian side by beating the four 'Home Nations' of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on the one tour.
The Wallabies had been four points down at 9-5 at half-time but scored 13 unanswered points in the second-half as they spoilt Jonny Wilkinson's return to England duty after more than 18 months out with injury.Wilkinson, whose last-ditch drop-goal saw England beat Australia in the 2003 World Cup final, did though score all of England's points - just as he did when the Red Rose defeated the Wallabies in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final.
But Australia scored the only tries of the match, with impressive scrum-half Will Genia leading the way with his first in Test rugby.Ashley-Cooper, whose try sealed Australia's 28-14 win in last year's corresponding fixture, shrugged off tackles from England wing Mark Cueto and replacement back Ayoola Erinle as he powered his way over in at the corner.
Fly-half Matt Giteau added the conversion and there was not enough time for England, whose attack lacked imagination in the second-half, to come back.However, Giteau said: "It didn't feel comfortable at any stage. It's a different England side looking to attack and they opened us up a few times."
Asked how Australia had turned things around after the break, Giteau replied: "We felt we were doing enough but giving away too many penalties."We just needed to secure the ball and we felt our opportunities would come."
An elated Genia added: "The boys told me about playing at Twickenham and coming off a winner is an amazing feeling. We just wanted to work right through the game and we'd have them at the back end."England, despite being without 12 members of their senior squad through injury, were by far the more cohesive side in the early stages with their pack providing a solid platform for Wilkinson to kick them into Wallaby territory.
"We spent a lot of the game defending against a lot of momentum. When you give a very good side that kind of ball in that area of the field, to do what we did defensively was great," said Wilkinson.But returning flanker Lewis Moody said Australia had an edge in match sharpness, albeit six of their last seven Tests had ended in defeats by world champions South Africa and New Zealand, against an England team playing their first match of the season.
"We battled hard all game - Australia were slicker than we were," Moody said. "We defended a lot of the second-half, and the tries we conceded were quite soft in the end."Indiscipline had been England's Achilles heel against Australia last year but on Saturday it was the Wallabies who conceded all the early penalties.
Good work by the forwards, with No 8 Jordan Crane to the fore, took England deep into the Australian 22 in the third minute and when the ball was laid back to Wilkinson whose drop-goal sailed over.More pressure saw Wilkinson double England's lead with a 25 metre penalty.
And only the left post prevented Wilkinson extending England's lead when a penalty from half-way came back off the woodwork.But Australia's first meaningful attack produced a try.
After the ball was worked across field, Ashley-Cooper was held up short of the line on the left wing. But Genia caught England napping on the blindside to score his first Test try.However, Giteau missed the conversion and England were still 6-5 up.
Wilkinson, kicking astutely in open play, then saw his high punt across field palmed back by giant England wing Matt Banahan.England pressed forward and an Australia infringement allowed Wilkinson to kick England into a 9-5 lead.
Australia should have had a try early in the second-half but Banahan's tackle on Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom prevented the flanker crossing the line.But England had infringed and Giteau's penalty cut England's lead to a point at 9-8.
Wycliff Palu knocked-on in front of the line but Australia's increasing pressure was rewarded when Giteau kicked a 59th minute penalty.Australia face Ireland in Dublin next weekend when England take on Argentina at Twickenham.
