2007 Rugby World Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union
match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France
, Saint-Denis
, Paris. The match determined the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup
and the de facto world champions for the next four years. The participants in the 2007 final were incumbent champions England
and South Africa
, who had each won their semi-finals against France
and Argentina
respectively. The final was refereed by Irish
referee Alain Rolland
.
The two finalists had met earlier in the competition, during the pool stage
, when South Africa won 36–0, so South Africa began the final as the only undefeated team left in the competition. Had England won the competition, they would have become not only the first nation to retain the Rugby World Cup
, which they had won in 2003
, but the only team to win a final after having lost a game at the pool stage. Winners South Africa became the second country to win two titles, following Australia, who won in 1991
and 1999
.
The match itself was try
-less with each team scoring only penalties, South Africa five – four by fullback Percy Montgomery
and one by centre François Steyn
– and England two, both by fly-half Jonny Wilkinson
. This gave South Africa a 15–6 victory. It also meant that of the five countries to have appeared in a Rugby World Cup final, South Africa is the only one that has not lost a final, and the only one not to have scored a try at the final stage. Each team did have one major try scoring opportunity; South Africa's came late in the first half, while England's came early in the second. England wing Mark Cueto
was denied a try in the 42nd minute after he was ruled to have put a foot in touch during a tackle by Danie Rossouw
before grounding the ball after a TMO review. Later independent analysis showed this to be the correct decision.
, Tonga
and the United States
. England's first match was against the United States, whom they beat 28–10. South Africa opened their campaign with a 59–7 victory over Samoa in which they scored seven tries; four of them by Bryan Habana
. The two teams then met in their second match of the tournament. For the first time in their World Cup history, England were kept pointless as South Africa scored three tries to win 36–0. South Africa then rested several of their top players for their match against Tonga. Tonga came close to an upset but South Africa held on to win 30–25, guaranteeing the Springboks top position in the pool. England then played Samoa, winning 44–22, before facing Tonga in a virtual playoff match; whoever won the game would finish second in the pool behind South Africa. England eventually won 36–20, scoring four tries in the process.
England played Australia
, who had finished top of Pool B
, in their quarter-final. The match was a repeat of the 2003 World Cup final
, with England coming out on top again, beating the Wallabies 12–10. All of England's points were scored by Jonny Wilkinson
penalties
. South Africa faced Fiji
who had defeated Wales
to finish as runners-up behind Australia in Pool B. South Africa scored five tries to two and won 37–20. England played hosts France
in their semi-final. Despite having less possession and territory England won 14–9. South Africa faced Argentina
and scored four tries to one to win 37–13.
, before the ball was kicked into touch by Butch James
, giving England the first line-out throw of the game. However, South Africa stole the ball to win the first line-out of the match. In the sixth minute, Mathew Tait
attempted to run the ball from inside England's 22-metre line, only to be tackled and penalised for not releasing the ball in the ruck. South Africa's Percy Montgomery
successfully converted the penalty to give the Springboks a 3–0 lead.
An up-and-under kick from England resulted in South African wing JP Pietersen
dropping the ball. England regained possession and passed the ball out to winger Paul Sackey
, before South Africa were penalised for killing the ball. Wilkinson stepped up to convert the penalty and level the scores at 3–3 after ten minutes. After a lot of kicking from both sides, Butch James was tripped by England flanker
Lewis Moody
as the South African fly-half was chasing a kick. Montgomery kicked the resulting penalty, to put the South Africans 6–3 up after 15 minutes. Two minutes later, England positioned themselves for an attempted drop-goal, but Wilkinson's attempt was left wanting as it drifted slightly wide.
After 21 minutes, England prop and captain Phil Vickery
was penalised for being offside near the halfway line. The resulting penalty kick was taken by South Africa's centre Frans Steyn
, but he missed the long-range effort. The match continued with large amounts of kicking from both sides until the 35th minute, when Steyn broke through the England line. South Africa managed to retain possession and eventually their hooker, John Smit
, went for the try-line but was held up two metres short. The ball was eventually knocked on by South Africa and England were awarded a five-metre scrum
. The scrum had to be reset several times, but the Springbok forwards were finally able to wheel the scrum through 90 degrees to force the turnover. They won the scrum on their own feed and continued to press at England's goal line before England were penalised for killing the ball. A penalty was awarded, which Montgomery kicked to give South Africa a 9–3 half-time lead.
. After stewards had dealt with a pitch invasion by infamous pitch invader Jimmy Jump
, the ball was eventually received by Mathew Tait, who was able to break the South African defensive line, before being tackled metres short of the South African goal line. The ball was recycled and spread left to England winger Mark Cueto
, who dove for the try line while being tackled by South African number eight Danie Rossouw
. Referee Alain Rolland
deferred the decision to Australian Television Match Official Stuart Dickinson
to determine whether Cueto was in touch before grounding the ball. After viewing the incident from numerous angles, Dickinson ruled that Cueto's foot was on the touchline before he grounded the ball and referee Rolland brought play back to an earlier penalty against Schalk Burger. Wilkinson converted the penalty to reduce South Africa's lead to 9–6 after 42 minutes.
In the 48th minute, Steyn made another break for South Africa and England flanker Martin Corry was penalised for playing the ball off his feet. Montgomery kicked the penalty to restore South Africa's six-point advantage. England penetrated South Africa's 22 in the 58th minute and their scrum-half Andy Gomarsall
chipped the ball ahead for Toby Flood
to run on to. However, the kick was too deep and was shepherded over the dead ball line by Percy Montgomery. Unable to reach the ball, and trying to force an English five-metre scrum, Flood pushed Montgomery in the back as they both chased for the ball, sending Montgomery into the advertising boards. In his attempt to hurdle the boards, Montgomery collided with a television camera, but referee Rolland decided not to penalise Flood. Three minutes later, just inside England's half, the English were penalised for obstruction, and Steyn kicked a 49-metre penalty to extend South Africa's lead to 15–6.
In the 67th minute, South African captain John Smit was controversially penalised for a collision with Mark Cueto as Cueto chased his own kick. Wilkinson kicked the ball into touch in South Africa's 22 from his own half, but England lost their resulting line-out to give South Africa possession. Requiring at least two scores to overhaul South Africa's lead, England kept attacking, and Wilkinson attempted a long-range drop goal in the 71st minute but was unsuccessful.
England kept possession for long periods during the last ten minutes, but were unable to break through the South African defence. They were penalised in the 75th minute for holding on in the tackle, and South Africa continued to try to play the match in England territory. England then knocked the ball on in the 79th minute, giving South Africa a scrum. The South African forwards secured the ball, and as soon as the clock ticked over the 80-minute mark, the ball was kicked into touch. Referee Rolland then blew the final whistle, and South Africa had won their second World Cup title. This was also the second World Cup title for retiring prop Os du Randt
, who was the last player from the Springboks' 1995
championship team still active. He joined five Australians
who had been on the Wallabies' 1991
and 1999
championship teams as the only players to have won two World Cups.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
South Africa
|
FB
15
Percy Montgomery
RW
14
JP Pietersen
OC
13
Jaque Fourie
IC
12
François Steyn
LW
11
Bryan Habana
FH
10
Butch James
SH
9
Fourie du Preez
N8
8
Danie Rossouw
OF
7
Juan Smith
BF
6
Schalk Burger
RL
5
Victor Matfield
LL
4
Bakkies Botha
TP
3
CJ van der Linde
HK
2
John Smit
(c
)
LP
1
Os du Randt
Replacements:
HK
16
Bismarck du Plessis
PR
17
Jannie du Plessis
LK
18
Johannes Muller
FL
19
Wickus van Heerden
SH
20
Ruan Pienaar
FH
21
Andre Pretorius
CE
22
Wynand Olivier
Coach:
Jake White
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
, Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, Paris. The match determined the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and the de facto world champions for the next four years. The participants in the 2007 final were incumbent champions England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, who had each won their semi-finals against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
respectively. The final was refereed by Irish
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
referee Alain Rolland
Alain Rolland
Alain Colm Pierre Rolland is an Irish rugby union referee and former player.During his playing days as a scrum-half, Rolland earned three caps for . He started the match on 27 October 1990 against , and gained further caps as a replacement against in 1994 and the USA in 1995. He won 40 provincial...
.
The two finalists had met earlier in the competition, during the pool stage
Group stage
A group stage is the round-robin stage of many sporting championships, particularly a sports' World Cup. The name implies that there is also a knock out stage to follow...
, when South Africa won 36–0, so South Africa began the final as the only undefeated team left in the competition. Had England won the competition, they would have become not only the first nation to retain the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
, which they had won in 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, but the only team to win a final after having lost a game at the pool stage. Winners South Africa became the second country to win two titles, following Australia, who won in 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
and 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
.
The match itself was try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
-less with each team scoring only penalties, South Africa five – four by fullback Percy Montgomery
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
and one by centre François Steyn
François Steyn
Francois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the South African national team; and Racing Métro 92 in Paris. He was a member of the South African team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
– and England two, both by fly-half Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
. This gave South Africa a 15–6 victory. It also meant that of the five countries to have appeared in a Rugby World Cup final, South Africa is the only one that has not lost a final, and the only one not to have scored a try at the final stage. Each team did have one major try scoring opportunity; South Africa's came late in the first half, while England's came early in the second. England wing Mark Cueto
Mark Cueto
Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:...
was denied a try in the 42nd minute after he was ruled to have put a foot in touch during a tackle by Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a second row forward. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. Rossouw made his provincinal debut during 1999 for the Blue Bulls in a match against the North Western Province in the Currie Cup competition...
before grounding the ball after a TMO review. Later independent analysis showed this to be the correct decision.
Path to the final
Both England and South Africa were placed in Pool A along with SamoaSamoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
, Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
and the United States
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
. England's first match was against the United States, whom they beat 28–10. South Africa opened their campaign with a 59–7 victory over Samoa in which they scored seven tries; four of them by Bryan Habana
Bryan Habana
Bryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
. The two teams then met in their second match of the tournament. For the first time in their World Cup history, England were kept pointless as South Africa scored three tries to win 36–0. South Africa then rested several of their top players for their match against Tonga. Tonga came close to an upset but South Africa held on to win 30–25, guaranteeing the Springboks top position in the pool. England then played Samoa, winning 44–22, before facing Tonga in a virtual playoff match; whoever won the game would finish second in the pool behind South Africa. England eventually won 36–20, scoring four tries in the process.
England played Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, who had finished top of Pool B
2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool B
Pool B of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on 29 September. The pool was composed of 2003 hosts Australia, as well as Canada, Fiji, Japan and Wales....
, in their quarter-final. The match was a repeat of the 2003 World Cup final
2003 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2003 Rugby World Cup Final was won by England who defeated Australia 20 to 17. The match went into extra time, in which Jonny Wilkinson kicked a drop goal to seal England's win.-Path to the final:...
, with England coming out on top again, beating the Wallabies 12–10. All of England's points were scored by Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
penalties
Penalty (rugby)
In rugby football, the penalty is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise players who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and may either kick it towards touch , attempt a place kick at goal, or...
. South Africa faced Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
who had defeated Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
to finish as runners-up behind Australia in Pool B. South Africa scored five tries to two and won 37–20. England played hosts France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in their semi-final. Despite having less possession and territory England won 14–9. South Africa faced Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
and scored four tries to one to win 37–13.
First half
The match was kicked off by England's Jonny Wilkinson, whose kick was collected by Schalk BurgerSchalk Burger
Schalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
, before the ball was kicked into touch by Butch James
Butch James
Andrew David "Butch" James is a South African rugby union player. He has represented 40 times and was a member of the team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He also played for Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership...
, giving England the first line-out throw of the game. However, South Africa stole the ball to win the first line-out of the match. In the sixth minute, Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait is an English rugby union footballer. He is an outside centre, a fullback or wing...
attempted to run the ball from inside England's 22-metre line, only to be tackled and penalised for not releasing the ball in the ruck. South Africa's Percy Montgomery
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
successfully converted the penalty to give the Springboks a 3–0 lead.
An up-and-under kick from England resulted in South African wing JP Pietersen
JP Pietersen
Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup...
dropping the ball. England regained possession and passed the ball out to winger Paul Sackey
Paul Sackey
Paul Henry Sackey is an English rugby union footballer who currently plays at wing for Stade Français in the Top 14.As of 28 February 2009 he has 22 full England caps...
, before South Africa were penalised for killing the ball. Wilkinson stepped up to convert the penalty and level the scores at 3–3 after ten minutes. After a lot of kicking from both sides, Butch James was tripped by England flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
Lewis Moody
Lewis Moody
Lewis Walton Moody MBE is an English rugby union rugby player who currently plays for Bath Rugby and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He is renowned for his commitment to the physical aspects of the game....
as the South African fly-half was chasing a kick. Montgomery kicked the resulting penalty, to put the South Africans 6–3 up after 15 minutes. Two minutes later, England positioned themselves for an attempted drop-goal, but Wilkinson's attempt was left wanting as it drifted slightly wide.
After 21 minutes, England prop and captain Phil Vickery
Phil Vickery (rugby player)
Philip John Vickery MBE is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at Wasps,...
was penalised for being offside near the halfway line. The resulting penalty kick was taken by South Africa's centre Frans Steyn
François Steyn
Francois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the South African national team; and Racing Métro 92 in Paris. He was a member of the South African team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
, but he missed the long-range effort. The match continued with large amounts of kicking from both sides until the 35th minute, when Steyn broke through the England line. South Africa managed to retain possession and eventually their hooker, John Smit
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
, went for the try-line but was held up two metres short. The ball was eventually knocked on by South Africa and England were awarded a five-metre scrum
Scrum (rugby union)
In rugby union a scrum is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves up to eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the free opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap...
. The scrum had to be reset several times, but the Springbok forwards were finally able to wheel the scrum through 90 degrees to force the turnover. They won the scrum on their own feed and continued to press at England's goal line before England were penalised for killing the ball. A penalty was awarded, which Montgomery kicked to give South Africa a 9–3 half-time lead.
Second half
The second half was kicked off by South Africa's Butch James, and the ball was caught by England's Nick EasterNick Easter
Nick Easter is a rugby union rugby player who plays at No. 8 or Flanker for Harlequins and England.He is the brother of Sale Sharks player Mark Easter and the nephew of author Anne Easter Smith. His father John, played squash professionally and reached number 1 in Britain and No.9 in the world...
. After stewards had dealt with a pitch invasion by infamous pitch invader Jimmy Jump
Jimmy Jump
Jaume Marquet i Cot , more popularly known as Jimmy Jump, born in 14th March 1976, is a pitch invader from Sabadell, Spain, known for interfering in several major sporting events and in 2010, the Spanish performance in the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway.- Football :On 4 July 2004, during...
, the ball was eventually received by Mathew Tait, who was able to break the South African defensive line, before being tackled metres short of the South African goal line. The ball was recycled and spread left to England winger Mark Cueto
Mark Cueto
Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:...
, who dove for the try line while being tackled by South African number eight Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a second row forward. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. Rossouw made his provincinal debut during 1999 for the Blue Bulls in a match against the North Western Province in the Currie Cup competition...
. Referee Alain Rolland
Alain Rolland
Alain Colm Pierre Rolland is an Irish rugby union referee and former player.During his playing days as a scrum-half, Rolland earned three caps for . He started the match on 27 October 1990 against , and gained further caps as a replacement against in 1994 and the USA in 1995. He won 40 provincial...
deferred the decision to Australian Television Match Official Stuart Dickinson
Stuart Dickinson
Stuart Dickinson is a former Australian rugby referee. He made his international refereeing debut in 1997 in a Rugby World Cup qualifier between Tahiti and Papua New Guinea....
to determine whether Cueto was in touch before grounding the ball. After viewing the incident from numerous angles, Dickinson ruled that Cueto's foot was on the touchline before he grounded the ball and referee Rolland brought play back to an earlier penalty against Schalk Burger. Wilkinson converted the penalty to reduce South Africa's lead to 9–6 after 42 minutes.
In the 48th minute, Steyn made another break for South Africa and England flanker Martin Corry was penalised for playing the ball off his feet. Montgomery kicked the penalty to restore South Africa's six-point advantage. England penetrated South Africa's 22 in the 58th minute and their scrum-half Andy Gomarsall
Andy Gomarsall
Andrew Charles Thomas Gomarsall MBE is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Leeds Carnegie and England.He previously played for Gloucester Rugby, Bedford and Wasps...
chipped the ball ahead for Toby Flood
Toby Flood
Tobias Gerald Albert Lieven "Toby" Flood is an English rugby union player. He currently plays at fly half or inside centre for Leicester Tigers, having signed from Newcastle Falcons, and England.-Background:...
to run on to. However, the kick was too deep and was shepherded over the dead ball line by Percy Montgomery. Unable to reach the ball, and trying to force an English five-metre scrum, Flood pushed Montgomery in the back as they both chased for the ball, sending Montgomery into the advertising boards. In his attempt to hurdle the boards, Montgomery collided with a television camera, but referee Rolland decided not to penalise Flood. Three minutes later, just inside England's half, the English were penalised for obstruction, and Steyn kicked a 49-metre penalty to extend South Africa's lead to 15–6.
In the 67th minute, South African captain John Smit was controversially penalised for a collision with Mark Cueto as Cueto chased his own kick. Wilkinson kicked the ball into touch in South Africa's 22 from his own half, but England lost their resulting line-out to give South Africa possession. Requiring at least two scores to overhaul South Africa's lead, England kept attacking, and Wilkinson attempted a long-range drop goal in the 71st minute but was unsuccessful.
England kept possession for long periods during the last ten minutes, but were unable to break through the South African defence. They were penalised in the 75th minute for holding on in the tackle, and South Africa continued to try to play the match in England territory. England then knocked the ball on in the 79th minute, giving South Africa a scrum. The South African forwards secured the ball, and as soon as the clock ticked over the 80-minute mark, the ball was kicked into touch. Referee Rolland then blew the final whistle, and South Africa had won their second World Cup title. This was also the second World Cup title for retiring prop Os du Randt
Os du Randt
Jacobus Petrus du Randt, better known as Os du Randt , is a former South African rugby union loosehead prop who retired as the most-capped forward in the history of the Springboks...
, who was the last player from the Springboks' 1995
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
championship team still active. He joined five Australians
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
who had been on the Wallabies' 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
and 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
championship teams as the only players to have won two World Cups.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | |||||
| England | |||||
| FB | 15 | Jason Robinson Jason Robinson Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for... |
|||
| RW | 14 | Paul Sackey Paul Sackey Paul Henry Sackey is an English rugby union footballer who currently plays at wing for Stade Français in the Top 14.As of 28 February 2009 he has 22 full England caps... |
|||
| OC | 13 | Mathew Tait Mathew Tait Mathew Tait is an English rugby union footballer. He is an outside centre, a fullback or wing... |
|||
| IC | 12 | Mike Catt Mike Catt Michael John "Mike" Catt OBE is a South African-born former English rugby union footballer who played for London Irish and Bath. He earned 75 international caps for England and played in three World Cup Finals, in 1995, 2003 and 2007... |
|||
| LW | 11 | Mark Cueto Mark Cueto Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:... |
|||
| FH | 10 | Jonny Wilkinson Jonny Wilkinson Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players... |
|||
| SH | 9 | Andy Gomarsall Andy Gomarsall Andrew Charles Thomas Gomarsall MBE is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Leeds Carnegie and England.He previously played for Gloucester Rugby, Bedford and Wasps... |
|||
| N8 | 8 | Nick Easter Nick Easter Nick Easter is a rugby union rugby player who plays at No. 8 or Flanker for Harlequins and England.He is the brother of Sale Sharks player Mark Easter and the nephew of author Anne Easter Smith. His father John, played squash professionally and reached number 1 in Britain and No.9 in the world... |
|||
| OF | 7 | Lewis Moody Lewis Moody Lewis Walton Moody MBE is an English rugby union rugby player who currently plays for Bath Rugby and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He is renowned for his commitment to the physical aspects of the game.... |
|||
| BF | 6 | Martin Corry | |||
| RL | 5 | Ben Kay Ben Kay Benedict James Kay MBE is a retired English international rugby union footballer who played Second row forward for Leicester Tigers and .-Background:... |
|||
| LL | 4 | Simon Shaw Simon Shaw Simon Dalton Shaw MBE is an English rugby union player who plays at lock for Toulon and England.-Biography:... |
|||
| TP | 3 | Phil Vickery Phil Vickery (rugby player) Philip John Vickery MBE is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at Wasps,... (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
|||
| HK | 2 | Mark Regan Mark Regan Mark 'Ronnie' Regan MBE is an English rugby union player. He has played as a hooker for Bristol, Bath, Leeds Tykes as well as England and the British Lions.-Career:... |
|||
| LP | 1 | Andrew Sheridan Andrew Sheridan Andrew Sheridan is an English rugby union player and musician, who plays loosehead prop for Sale Sharks.Sheridan is tall, which is unusually tall for a prop, and weighs... |
|||
| Replacements: | |||||
| HK | 16 | George Chuter George Chuter George Scala Chuter is an English rugby union player who plays at Hooker for Leicester Tigers.-Biography:... |
|||
| PR | 17 | Matt Stevens Matt Stevens (rugby player) Matthew Stevens is an English rugby union player, who plays at prop for Saracens F.C. and .He can cover both sides of the scrum and most of his England caps have come at tighthead. He formerly played for Bath Rugby club... |
|||
| N8 | 18 | Lawrence Dallaglio Lawrence Dallaglio Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager... |
|||
| FL | 19 | Joe Worsley Joe Worsley Joseph Paul Richard Worsley MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played flanker for Wasps and England.-Biography:... |
|||
| SH | 20 | Peter Richards Peter Richards (rugby player) Peter Charles Richards is a former English rugby union player. A versatile player, he has played in three positions: scrum half , fly-half and centre. Richards retired in the summer of 2010 because of a back injury.-Early career:His began playing mini rugby at , before he went to the Royal... |
|||
| FH | 21 | Toby Flood Toby Flood Tobias Gerald Albert Lieven "Toby" Flood is an English rugby union player. He currently plays at fly half or inside centre for Leicester Tigers, having signed from Newcastle Falcons, and England.-Background:... |
|||
| CE | 22 | Dan Hipkiss Dan Hipkiss Daniel James Hipkiss is a professional Rugby Union player who currently plays at Centre for Bath Rugby. Hipkiss has represented England at U16, U17, U18, U21 and England A. His full England début came versus Wales in a World Cup warm up match at Twickenham on 4 August 2007.He went to school at... |
|||
| Coach: | |||||
 Brian AshtonBrian Ashton (rugby player) William Brian Ashton MBE is a former rugby union player and the former Head Coach of the England and Ireland national rugby union teams.-Biography:... |
|||||
Percy Montgomery
Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
JP Pietersen
Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup...
Jaque Fourie
Jaque Fourie is a South African rugby union footballer. He is a versatile backline player whose usual position is in the centres...
François Steyn
Francois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the South African national team; and Racing Métro 92 in Paris. He was a member of the South African team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
Bryan Habana
Bryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
Butch James
Andrew David "Butch" James is a South African rugby union player. He has represented 40 times and was a member of the team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He also played for Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership...
Fourie du Preez
Petrus Fourie du Preez is a rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum half. Du Preez plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition in South Africa and the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition...
Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a second row forward. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. Rossouw made his provincinal debut during 1999 for the Blue Bulls in a match against the North Western Province in the Currie Cup competition...
Juan Smith
Juan Hugo Smith is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at blindside flanker, although he has also played number eight, he plays for the Springboks. He plays for the Vodacom Cheetahs in the international Super 14 competition as well as the Free State Cheetahs in the...
Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
Victor Matfield
Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14...
Bakkies Botha
John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, is a South African rugby union player who plays lock for the Springboks. He was a member of the national team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2007 in addition to winning two Tri-Nations titles in 2004 and 2009...
CJ van der Linde
CJ van der Linde is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is prop. He played for Leinster Rugby in the international Magners League from 2008–10, and currently plays for the Stormers....
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
(c
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
)
Os du Randt
Jacobus Petrus du Randt, better known as Os du Randt , is a former South African rugby union loosehead prop who retired as the most-capped forward in the history of the Springboks...
Bismarck du Plessis
Bismarck du Plessis is a South African rugby union player, who plays for South Africa internationally, the Natal Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup, and the Sharks in Super Rugby.-Career:...
Jannie du Plessis
Jan Nathaniel "Jannie" du Plessis is a South African rugby union player, who plays as a prop for South Africa and the Sharks in Super Rugby...
Wikus van Heerden
Wikus van Heerden is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a Flanker, currently signed to play for the Lions in the Super 14, and the Golden Lions in the national Curriecup competition. Van Heerden has also played for the national team, the Springboks...
Ruan Pienaar
Ruan Pienaar is a South African rugby union footballer who plays either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half. He joined Ulster for the 2010/2011 Magners League campaign....
André Pretorius
André Pretorius is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at fly-half, where he is currently under contract at the Lions. He has been capped by his country's national side, the Springboks and was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad that was crowned world champions...
Wynand Olivier
Wynand Olivier is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at centre, although he has played on the wing in the past.-Career:...
Jake WhiteJake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
Man of the Match: Victor Matfield Victor Matfield Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14... (South Africa) Touch judges: Joël Jutge Joël Jutge Joël Jutge is a former French international rugby union referee. He made his international refereeing debut in a 2000 match between Italy and Romania in Naples. Jutge decided to be a referee in 1991 after his playing career was brought to an end by a knee ligament injury... (France) Paul Honiss Paul Honiss Paul Gerard Honiss is a retired rugby union referee from Hamilton, New Zealand.Honiss held the record of the most test matches refereed when he retired as an international rugby union referee in July 2008. That record has since been surpassed by Jonathan Kaplan... (New Zealand) Television match official: Stuart Dickinson Stuart Dickinson Stuart Dickinson is a former Australian rugby referee. He made his international refereeing debut in 1997 in a Rugby World Cup qualifier between Tahiti and Papua New Guinea.... (Australia Australian Rugby Union The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory... ) Fourth official: Alan Lewis Alan Lewis David Alan Lewis is an Irish former cricketer and current Rugby Union referee. His father Ian also played cricket for Ireland... (Ireland Irish Rugby Football Union The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played... ) Fifth official: Steve Walsh Steve Walsh (rugby) Steve Walsh is a professional rugby union referee from New Zealand.Walsh's rugby playing career ended at age 13, due to a spinal injury resulting from a birth deformity and he began refereeing at the age of 16.... (New Zealand) |
Statistics
| England | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Tries | 0 | 0 |
| Conversions | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (attempts) |
2/2 | 5/6 |
| Drop goals (attempts) |
0/2 | 0/0 |
| Scrums (won/lost) |
5/1 | 9/0 |
| Line-outs (won/lost) |
19/7 | 13/0 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 4 |
| Tackles (made/attempts) |
77/88 | 81/97 |
| Line breaks | 1 | 1 |
| Possession | 55% | 45% |
| Territory | 57% | 43% |
| Time in opp. 22 | 6' 48" | 3' 22" |
| Errors (hands/kicks/restart) |
10 (10/0/0) | 8 (6/2/0) |
| Possession kicked (in play/touch/errors) |
44 (34/10/0) | 48 (28/18/2) |
| Pens conceded | 7 | 5 |
| Replacements | 7 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
External links
- Knockout stage at rwc2007.irb.com