Australia's path to the final

By Mitch Phillips LONDON (Reuters) - Australia's path to the World Cup final. Australia 28 Fiji 13 - Pool A It seems a long time ago that Australia coach Michael Cheika was being asked about the potentially dire consequences of his team's failure to secure a four-try bonus point after a flat second half against Fiji in their opening game. Two tries for David Pocock and one for Sekope Kepu had them 25-6 ahead early in the second half but Fiji got a foothold in the game and when the Wallabies did get a penalty 10 minutes from time, Bernard Foley kicked it and the fourth try failed to arrive. = = = = Australia 65 Uruguay 3 -- Pool A There was no shortage of tries next time out as Australia, despite resting several first-choice players, ran in 11 to overwhelm Uruguay. Winger Drew Mitchell and flankers Ben McCalman and Sean McMahon each scored two with Joe Tomane, stand-in captain Dean Mumm, centres Henry Speight and Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani also scoring. = = = = Australia 33 England 13 -- Pool A The most eagerly-awaited match of the pool phase saw Australia step up their intensity and skill levels to overwhelm England and dump the hosts out of the tournament. Foley had the game of his life, ripping through the home defence twice to score first-half tries and adding a further 18 points with the boot. Only briefly, when England got back within seven points midway through second half, did Australia look in danger but they then showed great composure and control to take charge again and finished with a flourish when Matt Giteau went over in the corner. = = = = Australia 15 Wales 6 -- Pool A Foley scored all the points with penalties but the glory went to the defensive effort in a game that will be remembered for the 13-man Wallabies' gutsy goalline stand. Leading 12-6 Australia had Will Genia and Mumm sin-binned midway through the second half and the remaining players then had to withstand a fierce and sustained Welsh assault on their line, which they did with great grit and organisation. "It was a different type of game and we had to show a different skin," Cheika said after the game that secured top spot in the pool. "We don't want to do it again." = = = = Australia 35 Scotland 34 -- quarter-final In a memorable game Australia started like a train but were then guilty of relentless errors to allow a Scotland side who had finished last in this year's Six Nations to push them to the brink. Another two tries for Mitchell and one each for Adam Ashley-Cooper, Michael Hooper and Tevita Kuridrani should have been enough to bring them home but when Scotland's Mark Bennett seized on James Slipper's errant pass to score under the posts Scotland led 34-32 with seven minutes left. As they so often do, however, the Wallabies kept pressing and got their breakthrough two minutes from time with a controversial offside penalty that Foley stroked over. World Rugby issued a statement the next day saying the penalty should not have been awarded but by then Scotland had packed their bags and Australia were planning for the semis. = = = = Australia 29 Argentina 15 -- semi-final Again Australia piled on the tries -- four this time -- but again they could not put a determined opponent away as Argentina threw everything at them. The Wallaby defence, however, was again superb, keeping the Pumas at arm's length for much of the game and then showing great speed and determination to haul runners down when the line was broken. In truth the game was only going one way after Argentina gifted two early tries to Rob Simmons and Ashley-Cooper but it was not until Ashly-Cooper completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time after a brilliant break by Mitchell that the game was safe. (Editing by Justin Palmer)