Rugby World Cup 2007 - The Final.avi

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.[1]



The two finalists had met earlier in the competition, during the pool stage, when South Africa won 36–0,[2] 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 controversially 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. Later independent analysis corroborated this decision.[3