England 32 Australia 31
Two wonderful tries from Ben Cohen and a dramatic second-half comeback saw England keep coach Clive Woodward's World Cup dreams on course at Twickenham this afternoon.
Cohen scored a try in each half to bring his tally to an amazing 18 in 19 Tests for England in a match of such high tension and fluctuating fortunes that it would not have been out of place if it had been the World Cup final itself.
Jonny Wilkinson weighed in with six penalties and two conversions to cement his position as the best fly-half on the planet.
And the way they clawed their way back from 31-19 down halfway through the second-half was testament to the courage, skill and composure Woodward has instilled in this burgeoning England side.
When the final whistle went after six minutes of injury time both teams wrapped their arms around each other in recognition of a quite breathtaking encounter and Martin Johnson climbed the Twickenham steps to receive the Cook Cup.
Rarely has a trophy been fought for with greater determination. It had to be that way because this Australian side, who outscored England on the try front by three to two, proved exactly why they are the world champions and favourites to retain their trophy next season.
The fact that England have never conceded as many points in their history at rugby headquarters tells the battle they had on their hands.
And yet, we should not forget, this was England's third win in a row against Australia and their seventh successive victory over the southern hemisphere's tri-nations sides.
PA