England have beaten Australia 20-17 in a thrilling Rugby World Cup final before a capacity crowd at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium tonight.

But coach Clive Woodward had to endure 20 minutes of extra time before his side became the first Northern Hemisphere team in the Tournament’s 16 year history to hold the Webb Ellis Cup aloft.

The mammoth English pack revelled in the wet conditions controlling the breakdown and line out against the less experienced Wallabies pack.

But trailing for most of the match the Wallabies never gave in, Elton Flatley’s 79th minute penalty sending the match into overtime.

With the scores locked at 17-all after 19 minutes of extra time it was the marksmanship of England’s Jonny Wilkinson that proved the difference, the mercurial fly half kicking a drop goal to secure victory.

Wallabies take early lead
Australia took the early lead with a try to wing Lote Tuqiri in the sixth minute but three unanswered penalty goals from Wilkinson and a try to wing Jason Robinson put England in the driver’s seat leading 14-5 at half time.

But it was the Wallabies that set the tone for the first half moving the ball wide early despite the wet conditions.
The final was only six minutes old when Australian fly half Stephen Larkham put a kick to the left corner for Tuqiri to leap high for the ball and plant it over the try line for the first points of the match.

Australia’s 5-0 lead coming off the back of two English misdemeanours in their own half.

Wilkinson sparks attack
Wilkinson registered his side’s first points with a penalty in the 12th minute, sparking the English attack but solid defence from the Wallabies restricted play to their own side of half way.

Wilkinson’s second penalty on the 20 minute mark put England in front 6-5 as the pre-Tournament favourites began to find their rhythm.

A certain England try went begging in the 25th minute when flanker Richard Hill toed the ball through after an Australian mistake only to see second row Ben Kay knock on with the line wide open.

Wilkinson recovered from a knock to his shoulder after a heavy tackle on replacement Australian fly half Matt Giteau, who came on for a blood-binned Larkham, to collect his third three-pointer and give his side a 9-5 lead 13 minutes from the break.

When Robinson got around fellow league convert Wendell Sailor in the 37th minute, England’s lead was extended to 9 points going into the break.

Arm wrestle
The second half developed into an arm wrestle, with England enjoying the weight of possession.

But two Flatley penalties, the first in the 48th minute and again on the hour mark, reduced England’s lead to three as the rain continued to tumble.

Will Greenwood gave English supporters something to cheer about in the 68th minute chasing a loose ball down the right flank, but Matt Rogers was on hand to put the ball into touch only metres from the try line.

Flatley sends it to extra time
The English forwards controlled the ball superbly for the majority of the second half, denying the Wallabies any attacking options but a Flatley penalty in the final minute sent RWC 2003 into extra time.

Wilkinson made no mistake with his penalty attempt two minutes into extra time to give his side a 17-14 lead which they held at the break.

The Wallabies mounted several attacking raids through Rogers and Tuqiri in the second stanza of extra time but the England defence held.

It was Flatley again bringing the scores level 17-all through another penalty with two minutes remaining but Wilkinson’s drop goal at the death gave England the match 20-17.

Wilkinson became the highest points scorer of the Tournament surpassing Frederic Michalak’s 103 points by 10.