Australia snatched a 14-12 win over Scotland after finishing with 13 women in a wild and windy Rugby World Cup match in Whangarei on Saturday.
Down 12-0 near the hour-mark, the Wallaroos rallied through tries to winger Bienne Terita and prop Ashley Marsters before full-back Lori Cramer slotted the winning conversion in the 75th minute.
But there was late drama as Marsters was given a red card for a high tackle a minute after her try and hooker Adiana Talakai was dismissed for a second yellow card for another dangerous tackle after the siren.
The Wallaroos hung tough, though, turning over the ball in the 84th minute and claiming the win when referee Lauren Jenner penalised the Scots for a ruck infringement.
Australia rebounded from their opening 41-17 loss to hosts New Zealand and will look to seal a quarter-final berth against Pool A rivals Wales on Saturday next.
Scotland, who lost their opener to Wales courtesy of a last-gasp penalty, battled to the finish but were up against a strong breeze that made clearing from defence a nightmare.
The Scots will need to upset New Zealand in their final pool match and hope other results go their way to sneak into the knockouts.
New Zealand meet Wales in Auckland on Sunday.
"Fair play to Australia, they really pinned us in our half," Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said.
"The conditions really did play into it ... That second half we wanted to try to play with the ball a little bit more ... because the wind was so strong."
With the wind behind them in the opening half, the Scots used their powerful maul to put hooker Lana Skeldon over near the corner in the ninth minute and earn a penalty try in the 27th, with Australia's Talakai yellow-carded for collapsing the maul.
Scotland defended grimly against the wind in the second half but titanic efforts from Australia's front rowers finally broke the game open, allowing Terita room for her try on the left flank before Marsters crashed over in the 73rd minute.
Centre Emily Scarratt scored all of England's points as they claimed a tense 13-7 victory over France in their Pool C clash at the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei to record a 27th consecutive test win.
England qualify for the quarter-finals having dominated territory and possession, but France stayed in the contest to the end with superb defence as Scarratt managed a converted try and two penalties.
France's lone try came from flanker Gaelle Hermet as they spent the majority of the match on the back foot, but troubled England when they did get possession and took the ball through the phases.
England had smashed Fiji 84-19 in their tournament opener, but France provided a much sterner examination with their organised defence and bravery.
It took 24 minutes for the first score as incessant pressure won reward with a try for Scarratt.
Loose-forward Alex Matthews carried the ball forward at every opportunity and following one of her bursts, back row partner Marlie Packer fed Scarratt, who darted back inside to cross the line.
England continued to camp in the France half, but a Scarratt penalty was all they had to show for it as they led 10-0 at half-time.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Scarratt adding a second penalty to extend England's advantage. But France finally found some fluency in attack and with a rare foray into the England 22, scored a superb try.
Flyhalf Caroline Drouin's chip behind the England defence was collected by wing Joanna Grisez, who fed Hermet to score and reduce the deficit to six points.
It set up a tense finish, but France continually kicked away possession instead of testing the England defence with ball in hand and the latter were able to see out the contest.
England play their final Pool C match against South Africa on 23 October, while France meet Fiji the day before.
The United States kept their quarter-final hopes alive with a 30-17 bonus point win over Japan in Whangarei.
Beaten by Italy in the opener, the US shrugged off a slow start to run over four tries in the second half of the Pool B clash.
Joanna Kitlinski, Alev Kelter, Elizabeth Cairns and Jennine Detiveaux scored the five-pointers for the Americans, who will look to seal a place in the last eight with victory over Canada on 23 October.
Megumi Abe, Hinano Nagura and Komachi Imakugi crossed for the Japanese, who were thrashed by Canada in their opener and have not won a World Cup match since 1994
