Home favourite Greg Norman also struggled but survived by one shot, while little known Paul Gow was the surprise second round leader.

Faldo managed a fluent 69 on the par 72 course, in contrast to his first day 77 and his 146 leaves him in joint 10th spot.

But Rose, who made par on the first day, hit an 81 on day two to miss the cut by a single shot.

Rose, bidding to make his first cut in his ninth attempt at a professional tournament after finishing fourth as an amateur at this year's Open, missed out after carding a double-bogey six on the final hole.

Faldo admitted he owed his second round recovery to some timely advice from one of Down Under's golfing greats.

He found his touch on the front nine that included a run of consecutive birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth holes.

After the disappointment of his opening round, Faldo said he was given some advice by Norman Von Nida, who won the Australian Open in 1950, 1952 and 1953 and finished second three other times.

"He said the grip pressure in my left hand was too tight, and gave me a little putting lesson as well," Faldo said.

"He told me to put my right hand stronger to get my right elbow and right shoulder in the right place.

"I practised last night and it was like a new day today."

Two other Britons are still in the hunt - Swindon's David Howell scored a 73 on Friday for a 151 total, one stroke inside the cut-off point. Scotland's Raymond Russell was on the same mark after a 77.

Shark's weather trouble

Norman, playing his first 72-hole tournament since extensive shoulder surgery had been one shot off the lead after the first day,

The Great White Shark's 152 total meant he survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare.

He had 11 bogeys and just one birdie in his second round, and said: "I didn't have the call of the elements today, simple as that.

"I kind of lost it out there and didn't get it back, it was just one of those days where I had a bad day."