World of Boxing and Rugby Union
Rugby Union World Cup - 2007
Quick facts about the finals:
Venue - Stade de France
Participating - 94
Countries
Result - South Africa 15 - England 6
Captain - John Smit
Coach - Jake White
Referee - Alain Rolland (IRE)
The staging of the 2007 Rugby World Cup returned to the Northern Hemisphere as France took its turn to host rugby's most prestigious event. Although a small number of matches would by played out at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Edinburgh's Murrayfield, the lion's share of the tournament belonged to France, and a nation expected. With the trophy being clinched by a northern Hemisphere team four years previously, the weight of expectation on Les Bleus as host nation was enormous.
Using the same four pools of five teams format as the previous tournament, with the four-try bonus point and losing bonus point systems also employed, Pool A saw heavy weights South Africa and England matched with South Sea island giants Samoa and Tonga, with minnows the USA rounding off the five. Wales, in Pool B, were drawn against former two times world champions Australia, with Fiji, Canada and Japan completing the draw. Pool C saw the favourites New Zealand pitted against Six Nations rivals Scotland and Italy, and developing rugby nations Portugal and Romania whilst the Pool of Death saw hosts France, Ireland and Argentina included with smaller nations Namibia and Georgia; with only two quarter-final berths up for grabs from each pool, it was a certainty that one of the top rugby nations would make a premature exit form the World Cup in Pool D.
Rugby World Cup 2007 in France was the most successful Rugby World Cup ever. The tournament was broadcast to a global television audience of over 4 billion and generated a record net surplus of £122.4 million. RWC 2007 enjoyed 2.2 million public ticket sales with an attendance rate of 97% for the matches in France, a full corporate sponsorship inventory and unprecedented corporate hospitality sales with over 100,000 packages sold (greater than the last two tournaments combined).
An independent Deloitte report identified the total economic benefits for the host nation as being up to £2.1 billion. Other major attractions of hosting the tournament include promotion of the country, a Rugby and sports legacy and a feel good factor.
The 2007 Rugby World Cup finalists met for the second time in the campaign having earlier faced each other as Pool A contenders. Though keen to restore pride after their 36-0 beating by the Boks, the defending champions conceded early points in the match as Percy Montgomery slotted a penalty. Wilkinson responded but Montgomery fired back almost immediately and stretched the Springboks' lead to 9-3 at the break as he secured another on the stroke of half time. The restart brought a sensational move from youngster Matthew Tait, who snaked between the Boks' defenders to set up a 'try' for fullback Mark Cueto. After much deliberation the TMO adjudged the fullback's left leg to be in touch when the ball was grounded; Wilkinson slotted a penalty in consolation. Montgomery extended the lead minutes later to 12-6 with young star Francois Steyn adding a penalty early in the final quarter. The tense game ran out with each team unable to add any further points to the scoreboard; closing at 6-15 the final was the lowest scoring match of the whole 2007 tournament, an inconsequential statistic to the heartbroken English and new World Champions South Africa.