Serge Betsen charges through (Getty Images).

By Alex Lowe, PA Sport, Sydney

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England will play defending champions and host nation Australia in the World Cup final at Telstra Stadium next Saturday after Jonny Wilkinson's mighty left boot struck gold on Sunday night.

Wilkinson kicked all of England's points - five penalties and three drop goals - despite horrendous conditions that made his job doubly difficult.

French flanker Serge Betsen scored the semi-final's only try, but England had greater control up front when it really mattered.

And in Wilkinson, they possessed a priceless match-winner, who passed 800 points for his country in the process.

It was not pretty - the weather dictated that - yet England can now look forward to their first World Cup final appearance for 12 years.

And on that occasion in 1991, they also met Australia, going down to a 12-6 defeat at Twickenham.

England though, beat the Wallabies Down Under just five months ago, and they will fancy their chances of emulating the country's 1966 world champion soccer heroes.

Martin Johnson's men are now within sight of their Holy Grail, and it will take an outstanding performance from Australia to stop them, even though the Wallabies will have home advantage.

There were no tries for England, but they had hard-working heroes all over the pitch, from Wilkinson to flanker Richard Hill, in his first match for a month, scrum-half Matt Dawson and back-row ace Neil Back.

France, meanwhile, must somehow lift themselves for a third-place play-off game against New Zealand next Thursday night.

They had beaten England twice in the past 21 months, yet they could not respond when England asked serious questions in the set-piece exchanges.

Telstra Stadium resembled more Twickenham than windy Sydney, with en estimated 30,000 English fans making their voices heard.

A prolonged storm two hours before kick-off threatened to make conditions treacherous, but the rain eased by kick-off, and despite a gusting wind, both teams settled well.

England number eight Lawrence Dallaglio was in tears during the anthems, which provided graphic confirmation of just how much the game meant to Johnson's troops.

Early flurries were inevitably lively, and it looked as though French wing Christophe Dominici aimed his fingers at Johnson's eyes. Then both front-rows got involved in a skirmish, which resulted in a bloodied England prop Phil Vickery going off.

Vickery's brief departure gave temporary replacement Jason Leonard his 112th cap, breaking Frenchman Philippe Sella's world Test appearance record in the Harlequins forward's 14th year of international rugby.

Wilkinson booted England ahead with a ninth-minute drop-goal from 20 metres, yet the lead was short-lived as France responded superbly.

Betsen broke clear on the edge of England's 22, and the red rose defence was slow to respond.

Wing Jason Robinson and Hill both desperately tried to stop his momentum, and after a lengthy delay while referee Paddy O'Brien consulted video official Andrew Cole, the try was awarded.

Fly-half Frederic Michalak slotted the touchline conversion with ease, and England found themselves 7-3 adrift after 10 minutes.

Michalak had a chance to extend that advantage five minutes later, but he sent a 35-metre penalty opportunity wide after Dallaglio had been harshly punished for obstruction.

England needed to reassert themselves on the game, yet Johnson conceded a needless penalty when he entered a ruck from an offside position. Had O'Brien been more ruthless, then Johnson could have been sin-binned.

Michalak sent the penalty wide though, as the rain began falling in torrential fashion.

England launched their first menacing attack on 24 minutes, and it ended in controversial fashion after Robinson was sent scampering clear by Catt.

Dominici floored the Sale Sharks speedster, but only through a blatantly illegal trip. O'Brien sin-binned Dominici, who was hurt after making contact with Robinson and limped off.

A steepling Wilkinson kick put France under pressure, and they fell offside after fumbling possession, allowing Wilkinson a penalty chance that he gratefully accepted from 30 metres.

Conditions grew increasingly difficult as the first half drew to a close, with the playing surface resembling a skating rink in places.

Dominici's injury was sufficiently serious for him not to rejoin the action when his sin-in period elapsed, so Toulouse full-back Clement Poitrenaud replaced him.

England threatened in the closing minutes, with Back sprinting into the French 22, and impressive link work between Hill and Dawson almost found a way through.

But Wilkinson came up trumps with his second drop-goal, and the Six Nations champions established a 9-7 lead, before a penalty on the stroke of half-time increased that advantage to five points.

Wilkinson and Michalak both missed penalty kicks in the opening six minutes of the second half, but the weather had long since reduced proceedings to a survival of the fittest.

Wilkinson sent another penalty wide on 49 minutes - his third miss - yet given the atrocious weather, it was almost excusable.

The England forwards gradually gained ascendancy, but they knew that the slightest suggestion of relinquishing control could result in France making them pay.

Just when France needed to establish some control though, they were undone by the poor discipline of Betsen.

His reckless late lunge on Wilkinson, after England's fly-half had cleared possession, resulted in a penalty that the Newcastle number 10 comfortably landed.

And there was better to come from the imperious Wilkinson, after further pressure resulted in him moving to the right, and then cutting back to the left and completing a hat-trick of drop-goals.

It put England 18-7 in front, before 63rd and 72nd-minute penalties took England out of sight and into the final.

France were now a spent force, as Johnson and company claimed their 21st victory from the last 22 Tests, giving World Cup organisers the dream final - Australia versus England in Sydney next Saturday.

Teams

France: Brusque, Rougerie, Marsh, Jauzion, Dominici, Michalak, Galthie, Crenca, Ibanez, Marconnet, Pelous, Thion, Betsen, Magne, Harinordoqui.

Replacements: Poitrenaud for Dominici (34), Merceron for Michalak (64), Milloud for Crenca (62), Labit for Betsen (64).

Not Used: Bru, Auradou, Traille.

Cons: Michalak.

Sin Bin: Dominici (23), Betsen (53).

England: Lewsey, Robinson, Greenwood, Catt, Cohen, Wilkinson, Dawson, Woodman, Thompson, Vickery, Johnson, Kay, Hill, Back, Dallaglio.

Replacements: Tindall for Catt (69), Bracken for Dawson (70), Leonard for Woodman (79), West for Thompson (79), Moody for Hill (73).

Not Used: Corry, Balshaw.

Pens: Wilkinson 5.

Drop Goals: Wilkinson 3.

Att: 83,000

Ref: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand).