Wales' Liam Williams competes for the ball with Australia's Bernard Foley (right).
Twickenham - First-half tries from winger Tommy Seymour and flanker John Hardie combined with scrumhalf Laidlaw's efforts proved enough to see off the challenge of the free-running Samoans and set up a last eight meeting with Australia or Wales.
Published: Sun 11 Oct 2015, 12:00 AM
Updated: Sun 11 Oct 2015, 2:02 PM
Bernard Foley's boot and brilliant defence saw Australia beat Wales 15-6 at Twickenham on Saturday to top World Cup Pool A.
Australia's eleventh victory in a row over Wales saw the Wallabies book a quarterfinal against Scotland, with Wales now facing South Africa in the last eight next weekend. Skipper Greig Laidlaw scored a late try and kicked 21 points to send Scotland into the quarterfinals at the expense of Japan with a 36-33 victory over Samoa in a frenetic Pool B match on Saturday.
First-half tries from winger Tommy Seymour and flanker John Hardie combined with scrumhalf Laidlaw's efforts proved enough to see off the challenge of the free-running Samoans and set up a last eight meeting with Australia or Wales.
Japan had been hoping for a Samoa victory that, combined with a win over the US in their final pool match on Sunday, would have sent the Brave Blossoms into the knockout stages for the first time.
"We just get on with beating US. No problem ... business as usual," Jones said.
If Japan beat the United States in Gloucester on Sunday they will become the first team to win three group games at the World Cup but fail to reach the knockout stages.
"It doesn't change anything for us," Jones said of the Scotland result.
"Our task is to go and beat USA and be the first team to not qualify for the quarter-finals," the Australian added.
"We've had a fantastic World Cup so the players are focused and will complete the job."
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