2007: Return to glory
For England there was annoyance at a TMO decision. For Argentina it was a new dawn.
The 2007 World Cup was different things to different people.
The New Zealanders wept and gnashed their teeth when France knocked them out in the quarterfinal, played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The whole of New Zealand was furious with the referee, Wayne Barnes, described by the All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw, as 'the most inexperienced referee on the roster'.
The anger centred mainly on a 'missed forward pass' in the build-up to Yannick Jauzion's try. But there were other things – no penalties against France for an hour, the yellow-carding of Luke McAlister and for being too slow.
There were even suggestions of match-fixing.
Even Paddy O'Brien, a New Zealander of Invercargill, was nationally unpopular for being the IRB's refereeing manager.
There would be an echo of this in 2011 when Australia knocked the Springboks out in the quarterfinals.
England did not believe that Mark Cueto had put a foot in touch before grounding the ball in the left corner during their encounter with South Africa in the Final.
They were upset by TMO Stuart Dickinson's recommendation.
For Argentina it was a wonderful tournament. They ended third after beating France twice and losing only once – to South Africa in a semifinal.
Overnight Agustín Pichot became a national hero.
In 1995 it was impossible to be in South Africa and not know that the World Cup was on. In 1999 it was quite possible to be in England and not know that the World Cup was on.
In France in 2011 people certainly aware of the World Cup and not just for the wild looks of Sébastien Cabal on posters everywhere.
The French enjoyed the occasion.
For the South Africans it was a glorious march to triumph. At no stage did it seem that they could fail to win the Webb Ellis Cup, certainly not after their demolition of England in the pool match – when they won 36-0.
In fact the nearest they came to losing was against Tonga – when the South Sea side scored two tries, a conversion and a penalty in the last 10 minutes to create a final score of 30-25.
Once again the Samoa match produced a problem. The Springboks won 59-7, but Schalk Burger was cited for an action against Junior Polu in the air. He was founded guilty and suspended for four matches, which on appeal was reduced to two after substantial legal representation.
In the United States match there was an exciting moment when Zimbabwean wing Takudzwa Ngwenya sped past Bryan Habana on his outside to score a wonderful try.
Against Fiji in the quarterfinal, the islanders came back from 6-20 down to level at 20-all with 20 minutes to play. John Smit spoke to his men and the Springboks won 37-20.
They then played Argentina in the semifinal, after the Pumas had beaten Scotland. The Springboks beat the Pumas at the physical game and won 37-13 to go into the Final.
The other finalists?
They were England, whose forwards beat France 14-9 in the semifinal. For the first time a team beaten in the pool stage of a World Cup reached the Final.
England had one golden moment in the Final. It was early in the second half, with South Africa leading 9-3.
England mauled over the Springbok 10-metre line and the ball came back to scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall, who threw an appalling pass along the ground that reached outside centre Matthew Tait on the half-way line. Tait picked up the ball, stepped past Frans Steyn and raced down the middle of the field. He beat Percy Montgomery on the outside and Bryan Habana on the inside, but Victor Matfield brought him down about three metres from the Springbok line. Gomarsall passed to his left where Jonny Wilkinson, confronted by Jaque Fourie, slapped it on to Mark Cueto, who headed for the corner as big Danie Rossouw came across to stop him, getting a bit of purchase on the plunging wing's middle. Cueto grounded the ball for the try, but the referee, Alain Rolland, consulted his touch judge Joël Jutge and they referred the matter to the TMO, Stuart Dickinson. He, the TMO, eventually advised that Cueto's left foot had touched the touchline before he grounded the ball, and so it was not a try.
It was South Africa's second appearance in a World Cup Final and their second win, though in neither Final was a try was recorded.
In fact though the score was only 15-6, they were well in control of the match, happy to win by just one point if it came to that.
It was a win that was four years in the making, as Jake White instilled belief into his players, as Kick Christie had done in 1995.
The Springboks came back to South Africa, joyously welcomed as heroes.
Later that year Bryan Habana was named IRB Player of the Year, Jake White Coach of the Year and South Africa the Team of the Year.
By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com
