Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Defending champion England upset Australia 12-10 to reach the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup as Jonny Wilkinson kicked all the points to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

Wilkinson, whose last-minute drop goal sank Australia in the 2003 final, booted four penalties at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, France. Australia scored the only try of the match to lead 10-6 at half-time and captain Stirling Mortlock missed a long-range penalty attempt with two minutes remaining.

The victory caps a revival by sixth-ranked England, which was routed 36-0 by South Africa in the pool phase last month. England, a 7-2 chance with bookmakers before the game, will take on the winner of tonight's quarterfinal between top-ranked New Zealand and France in Cardiff, Wales.

``The energy and the sheer desire to get on the loose ball and then get off the floor and get back in the game saved us,'' Wilkinson told reporters. ``We will celebrate the victory, but we also celebrate the opportunity to play another game.''

England has won its last three World Cup meetings with Australia, all by margins of three points or less. Four years ago in Sydney, Wilkinson's kick clinched a 20-17 victory and made England the first northern hemisphere nation to win the trophy.

Lowest-Scoring

Today's contest was the lowest-scoring match of this year's tournament. The Wallabies, who scored 215 points in their four group wins, have only once tallied fewer points than today's total in six editions of the event.

``We took Australia on in a way that people would have expected Australia to take us on, by moving the ball around the field,'' said England coach Brian Ashton. ``Today was a much more balanced and complete performance than anything we've given in the World Cup.''

Australia took the lead after six minutes when Mortlock kicked a penalty.

England then dominated the opening quarter of the game, taking a 6-3 lead with two Wilkinson penalties after his team's backs had moved the ball with more fluency than in previous matches.

The Wallabies hit back in the 33rd minute when Tuqiri went over in the corner for his first try of the tournament. Mortlock converted for a 10-6 lead.

In the second half, England's forwards took control of the match, dominating Australia at the scrum and laying the platform for Wilkinson to kick his team into a two-point lead with 20 minutes remaining.

Missed Kicks

The fly-half failed to extend his team's lead as a penalty and a drop-goal flew wide of the posts. Mortlock, handed the chance to kick Australia into the last four after 78 minutes, pulled his effort from close to the touchline.

Mortlock and Wilkinson each missed three penalties in total.

``It was our worst performance of the tournament,'' said Australia coach John Connolly. ``We made some unusual mistakes but you have to give credit to England.''

Wilkinson's second penalty took him past former Scotland full-back Gavin Hastings as the event's record points-scorer. Wilkinson now has 234 points, seven more than Hastings.

South Africa meets Fiji and Argentina takes on Scotland in tomorrow's last eight matches. The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 13 and 14 in Paris.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sam Sheringham in London at ssheringham@bloomberg.net or

Last Updated: October 6, 2007 14:18 EDT