Click Here - To watch highlights of Australia 21-18 Wales!

Australia grabbed the third spot in the 2011 Rugby World Cup after a 21-18 victory over Wales in the third-place play off at Eden Park, Auckland.

To state the obvious, both sides would have preferred playing in Sunday's final and the match was a reflection of that sentiment. Ridden with errors, both sides' displays were below-par and the occasion was submerged in further gloom when Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper sustained a serious knee injury midway through the first half. He damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, capping a poor tournament.

The Wallabies went ahead when Berrick Barnes crossed and James O'Connor converted. Barnes would go on to score on the drop while a total of eight points from O'Connor and a try by Ben McCalman meant Leigh Halfpenny's 83 minute try for Wales came too late.

Wales also had Shane Williams cross, converted by James Hook, while penalties from Hook and Stephen Jones added to the scoreline.

The focus now shifts to Sunday's final between New Zealand and France.

Australia Australia Australia Video