The Wallabies have fallen short of completing a series win over England, who triumphed 21-17 at the SCG to claim the Ella-Mobbs Cup.
The sides crossed for two tries each but Owen Farrell's goal kicking proved the difference, with the England star landing three penalty goals and a conversion.
The Wallabies spoke all week about how important a good start was in this Test and they backed up their words with a rampaging start that had England on the back foot early.
"It was a battle," England fullback Freddie Steward told Channel Nine.
"The Wallabies stepped it up, especially in the first 20. they came hard at us, we had to dig in and fight to stay in there.
The one thing the Wallabies were not able to translate from the previous matches was their ability to convert when in those positions, blowing three chances — including a missed penalty from Noah Lolesio — when on the attack.
"I don't think we were clinical," Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said at full-time.
So, instead of celebrating a positive start, the Wallabies found themselves 3-0 down after Farrell slotted a penalty goal after 18 minutes.
The Wallabies hit back though, thanks to a stunning move down the right side involving a one-two pass between Nic White and Tom Wright, who raced away to score in the corner.
Lolesio and Farrell exchanged penalties on the half-hour mark, but a brave choice to go for the corner instead of take another three from England skipper Courtney Lawes.
England battered at the Wallabies line before eventually crossing through Steward.
That gave England a one-point advantage heading into the break, which appeared to galvanise the visitors, who edged further ahead through another Farrell penalty.
Then Marcus Smith, the mercurial Harlequins talent, struck a hammer blow by picking up a loose ball from his opposite number Lolesio and sprinting half the length of the field to score under the posts.
The home side was not done yet, with Folau Fainga'a smashing over after the English defence was finally breached, having been pounded into submission by fast ball and hard running metres from the Wallabies forwards.
That set up a tense finale, but England sealed the win at a ground they had not played at in 47 years with an epic final stand, holding out the Wallabies for 18 phases before earning a penalty at the breakdown.
"We dug in," Lawes said.
"Fair play to Australia … but we stuck together. We stuck at it and managed to come away with the win."
The Wallabies had won 30-28 in the opening Test in Perth, before England rebounded with a 25-17 victory in Brisbane in the second match of the series.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
Live updates
Marika Koroibete, player of the series
He wins the John Cadbury Plate.
It has been a good series for the winger, I think Hooper should have been considered to be honest, he was flawless really all series, as was Samu Kerevi to be fair.
'Mate, it really hurts': Hooper
Here's Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper.
"Firstly, pay credit to England," he says.
"Played a good game. Come back from 1-0 down, close out the series there. Take your hat off to a grind from them winning the series.
"I don't think we were clinical. We created good opportunities tonight,just not good enough to finish them.
"Some areas that hurt them, big moments before half time, getting the try, a scrappy ball where Marcus goes the length, or half the field.
"[There were] Pleasing elements but, mate, it really hurts.
"Forever proud of our group.
"We grinded, we played some good footy. We didn't execute how we wanted but there's so much grit in this group.
"There has been a lot of adversity. It was a shame we can't do it here."
'They were talking smack about us. That motivated us a bit.'
Here's the England skipper.
"We dug in," Lawes says.
"Fair play to Australia, the amount of casualties they had. Fair play, congratulations to them but, yeah, we stuck together, we stuck at it and managed to come away with the win.
He says the team really fought for each other, but were given fuel to do so by the Australian press.
"We have fought for each other," he says.
"We had a great four weeks here. We have really enjoyed ourselves.
"I mean, they give us a good bit of fuel in the press to be fair. They were talking smack about us. That motivated us a bit but the boys stuck together, stuck to our guns.
"We didn't fire that many shots tonight unfortunately but we found away to win, that's the big improvement."
Freddy Steward: 'It was a battle'
Now it's the England fullback, Freddy Steward.
"It was a battle. The Wallabies stepped it up especially in the first 20, they came hard at us, we had to dig in and fight to stay in there," he says.
"We had a period at the end where we had to give it everything to get in front.
He describes the defensive effort at the end as a "Monster effort".
"We probably lacked a bit of physicality to start with, we made up for it. The boys dug in.
"All those who came off the bench, everyone gave everything."
He says coming to Australia and coming away with a series win was "pretty special" and that he was "buzzing".
'We fired shots, in the end, it wasn't enough': Kerevi
Samu Kerevi is speaking to Channel 9
"I'm really proud of this group," he says.
"We've come along way. Still a lot to build on but proud of the way we played. We fired shots. In the end, it wasn't enough."
He is asked where it all went wrong for the Wallabies, but he says it was all down to how England played.
"You've got to give it to England, the defensive set. Guys like Marcus [Smith], the forward pack, put their bodies on the line."
England beat Wallabies 21-17, win series 2-1
Delirium from the English players!
That was a brutal Test match at the end of a brutal Test series.
80+1' Wallabies short drop out
The Wallabies have regained the ball off the short kick off!
The ruck is messy!
The hooter goes.
The whistle goes!
England has won!
80' England turn the ball over!
England counterruck and England has the ball with seconds remaining!
England nearly escape down the left, can't get past the final tackle.
Vunipola is held up over the line.
78' Wallabies lineout
Van Poortlviet kicks after the maul goes nowhere, neither does the kick, but England regather and they'll have another go, that time a little grubber into touch in the 22.
77' Suliasi Vunivalu on for his debut
Meanwhile, England kick for the sideline and have a lineout 8 metres into Wallaby territory.
77' Penalty England!
The Wallabies are on the charge here.
Hard meters inside their own territory but now a couple of mini breaks sees them get to the England 22.
The England defence is hammering at the Wallabies here, Hooper has been slammed several times in this phase.
Luke Cowan-Dickie and Courtney Laws both get over Marika Koroibete after 18 phases of play and they get the decision!
Incredible stuff from the English defence - patient from the Wallabies but just the same from England.
73' Knock on England!
The English knock the ball on at the back of the maul, Folau Fainga’a had his paws all over the ball to effect that maul and eek the ball loose.
Wallabies scrum inside their own territory - Paul Williams tells the Wallabies to remember to hold their weight...
72' Penalty England!
The Wallabies were getting more and more isolated with each carry, Courtney Laws was on top of the Wallaby ball carrier and the English get the relieving penalty.
They kick for touch and have a line out 20 metres out from the Wallabies line.
71' England clear their lines
England win the lineout and let the maul inch them away from their own line.
The kick from van Poortlviet takes the ball up to the 10 metre line, where the Wallabies will have the lineout.
70' Wallabies on the attack!
The Wallabies have got away with a shocking forward pass out of their 22 here.
Samu Kerevi passed that three metres forward but the officials all missed it!
They've moved from defence to attack thanks to Wright down the right wing.
Kerevi now kicks deep into the 22 and the ball trickles out inside their own five metre line.
Pressure back on England!
66' Try Wallabies!
Folau Fainga’a gets the try, diving over from close range!
It came off the back of even more pressure from the Wallabies, who have been pounding at this English defence like water on rock.
Eventually, that pressure hold and the crack allowed the replacement hooker through.
There was a penalty coming as well for the Wallabies, so England must still be in yellow card trouble at their next infringement in their defensive zone.
Australia's subs getting the job done though.
The kick is good and the score is 17-21 to England.
65' Penalty Wallabies
Wallabies on the attack, more tough running, met with some tough England defence - Hooper is hammered by Vunipola.
A penalty is coming for the Wallabies as they press on the English line a metre out.
Wallabies go right now, then left, but the ball is left behind from a suspiciously adjacent pass from Koroibete.
Great defence from England, but they were offside.
Getting close to yellow card territory here for England.
Wallabies have the five metre linout.
62' Penalty Wallabies!
This is lovely stuff from the Wallabies.
Hard running, good clean outs and quick ball for Tate McDermott.
England are pinged for not rolling away and that's the penalty.
They'll kick for touch again, five metres out.
Now or never? Wallabies need a score soon.
