Rugby World Cup 2015: Winners and Losers from Australia vs. Scotland

Scotland came within one minute of being the only European team to make this year's Rugby World Cup semi-final lineup, but an 80th-minute Bernard Foley penalty saw Australia to a 35-34 victory at Twickenham.

Sunday's result means not a single northern hemisphere team has made the final four of the competition for the first time in its history, with the Wallabies now poised to meet Argentina next Sunday.

The London audience was treated to an end-to-end encounter of the most dramatic variety, where for a brief spell, it looked as though Vern Cotter's side would complete their earth-shattering upset.

It wasn't to be, however, and both coaches come away with a long list of lessons to be learned. We take a look at the biggest winners and losers ahead.

Winner: Bernard Foley

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Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Having failed to make a single kick in the opening 40 minutes, Foley found his shooting boots in the second half and rose to slot home a last-minute penalty and put Australia in the final four.

It wasn't long ago the Waratahs No. 10 was still being debated as Michael Cheika's outright No. 10, but make no mistake, Foley won't be giving that jersey up for a long time after holding his nerve so well on Sunday.

The fly-half eventually finished with 10 points to his name, matching two-try Drew Mitchell, but this performance will always be remembered for the split-second boot that pushed his side over the edge at the death.

Loser: The Six Nations

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What a memorable weekend it's been for the bastions of the southern hemisphere, but what a forgettable one it's been for their northern counterparts as the semi-final lineup goes without any European representatives for the first time.

Following Ireland's 43-20 collapse at Argentina's hands earlier in the day, the Rugby Championship has truly cemented its status as a superior competition to the Six Nations.

Of course, it came down to just a single kick, and it goes to show how open the international game really is that the Wallabies, the defending Rugby Championship titleholders, almost fell to Scotland, who are often the worst of the European bunch.

That being said, it will take some recovery from coaches, players and grassroots institutions before the northern hemisphere is likely ready to challenge for a world title again.

Winner: Vern Cotter

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It may not feel like it right now, but Scotland coach Vern Cotter has a lot to be hopeful of in the wake of Sunday's defeat.

The Scottish scrum was defiant, and the counter speed of the backs was captivating. Not to mention, Scotland played well against, on paper, the best from Down Under as things stand.

Five of the players in Scotland's starting XV were 25 or younger, and the future looks bright if the first year of Cotter's reign is a sign of the improvements to come as long as he's mentoring the side.

With Glasgow Warriors contending for Pro12 silverware and Edinburgh looking to rise again, Scottish rugby appears to be in safe hands.

Loser: Mario Ledesma

Associated Press

So it turns out the Australian scrum is fallible after all, and Scotland have proved there is a formula to working Mario Ledesma's master plan out.

Wallabies props Scott Sio and Sekope Kepu each struggled at times to hold off the set-piece assaults of their Scottish counterparts, and ex-Argentina hooker-turned-scrum coach Ledesma will be on alert as a result.

What's more, the upcoming test of the Pumas' pack doesn't promise to offer any reprieve to Australia's forwards. Ledesma has a tough week on his hands in whipping Nos. 1 to 8 back into shape.

Winner: Jonny Gray

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Scotland were happy to welcome forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray back into their lineup after seeing their suspensions overturned on Friday, with the latter having a particularly strong Sunday outing.

No player made more tackles than the younger of the Gray brothers (18), and he acted almost like another flanker for stretches of the defeat as he marshalled the defensive line well.

With bravery in excess, Gray is well-placed to become a Scotland captain in the future, and at the age of 21, there's no telling what the lock can go on to achieve in international colours at this rate.