The Wallabies have survived an almighty scare to come from behind against Scotland, with a Drew Mitchell brace of tries and a clutch Bernard Foley penalty securing a 35-34 win which squeezed them into the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
The overwhelming favourites heading into Sunday's match, a shellshocked Australia trailed at halftime and were behind in the dying seconds before getting out of jail on the back of a controversial penalty to secure the one-point win at Twickenham on Sunday.
The match looked to have slipped away when Scotland centre Mark Bennett intercepted a wayward pass from reserve prop James Slipper to race away for what looked like the match-winning try six minutes from time.
But they were given one last chance after a controversial 80th minute offside penalty went in their favour - despite TV replays proving inconclusive as to whether the final touch had come from a Scottish head or the hand of Australia's reserve halfback Nick Phipps.
Foley had endured a forgettable afternoon, missing all three first-half kicks, but given the chance to win the match he stepped up confidently to boot Australia into a semi-final showdown with Argentina next Sunday (Monday AEDT).
A despondent Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw lamented the last-minute penalty.
"They've got to the TMO (video referee) for everything else. It was such a big decision. Why wouldn't you go to the TMO for that?" Laidlaw said.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika was unequivocal in his appraisal of the decision, however.
"It's a penalty and that's the way it works," he said.
"It worked both ways in all games and that's life, you know. You've still got to kick it once you get it."
It wasn't the only major decision to go in favour of the Wallabies, who also benefitted from the sin-binning of Scotland winger Sean Maitland for a deliberate knock-on - with Australia scoring in the ten minutes he was off the field.
An uncharacteristically sloppy showing from the Wallabies, who played fast and loose and made far too many handling errors, helped the courageous Scotland take a 16-15 halftime lead.
However, despite escaping with a win, Cheika will have much to think about.
Even their famed defence, which had conceded just two tries through the pool games, cracked feebly as Scotland's Peter Horne snuck over untouched, having picked up the ball at the back of the ruck.
Scotland's other two tries were more fortuitous, as Tommy Seymour crossed after backing up in support when teammate Finn Russell charged down a Foley clearing kick, before Bennett's extraordinary intercept try.
"Look, we gave away a try with a charge-down and then an intercept (but) that one through the ruck, that wasn't good. We need to block that area up," Cheika said.
"But I think we were just a little bit flat in the first half, in particular.
"We weren't coming up hard and then the second half we got back up with a bit more line speed and got back into the game.
The Wallabies' scrum, lauded after wins over England and Wales, also felt the pressure of the situation with loosehead prop Scott Sio frequently penalised, which Laidlaw happily converted into points en route to a 19-point haul of his own.
Sio's night went from bad to worse when he left the field with an injury to his right shoulder.
Australia had started perfectly, with a damaging Tevita Kuridrani bumping off defenders in the fifth minute before drawing the fullback to set up Adam Ashley-Cooper's first try of the tournament.
Australia nearly took a halftime lead following a 40th minute try to Michael Hooper from a rolling maul, however Foley's missed conversion ensured Scotland held the advantage.
Ashley-Cooper had a second try taken away from him after the break when the video referee found a knock-on at the breakdown by halfback Will Genia.
The Wallabies were equally effective on the other side of the field, where Mitchell's first five-pointer of the day came from a superb cut-out pass from Kurtley Beale, who started at fullback in place of the injured Israel Folau (ankle).
Mitchell's two tries take his World Cup tally to 14, just one behind all-time leaders Jonah Lomu of New Zealand and Bryan Habana of South Africa.
Kuridrani also crashed over from close range after Rob Simmons had won a lineout on Scotland's throw, to extend Australia's lead back out to eight points with 15 minutes to play, before the late game drama of Bennett's intercept try and Foley's last-gasp winner.
