England entered the tournament as favourites on the back of some excellent pre-tournament results, but it was Australia that set the home crowds alight with a record win over hapless Namibia. Australian hopes were boosted by an excellent semi-final win over New Zealand that took the Wallabies into the final against an England side that was proving itself very tough.
All England will, of course remember the final. A tight game, the sides were locked at 17 points each with seconds to go in extra time when Jonny Wilkinson coolly slotted a drop goal off his weaker right foot to give England a famous victory.
With England a shadow of the side that had dominated just four years earlier, it looked like would see a return to southern hemisphere dominance. Indeed, before the finals began, some pundits in Australia and New Zealand were highly critical of the draw that would have seen the two countries face off at the semi-final stage, not the final where some thought they should meet.
England started poorly with a thrashing at the hands of South Africa but then the side woke up, scraping past Australia in the quarterfinal and ending the French challenge in the semi. In the final, South Africa ground out a win against England. A final that was decided in part by such a fine margin a few millimetres in fact, with a dazzling run from the young centre Matthew Tait, to be taken down inches sort then the ball.
Then, to be recycled onto Mark Cuteo to dot the ball down in the corner but with his foot in touched set the president for the rest of the game, a well fought victory for the Spring Boks saw off an inspired England. Hot favourites and playing at home, New Zealand were always going to be tough to beat.
New Zealand, of course, went on to win a tight final against old nemesis France, with skipper Ritchie McCaw playing an inspirational role despite playing with an injured foot. All eyes were on England as hosts of Rugby World Cup , and there was intense pressure for them to succeed.
It proved to be a memorable competition, with plenty of shocks along the way. After 3 matches, England were out and, for the first time, the Rugby World Cup main hosts that had failed to get out of their pool. On the other side of the draw events went more according to plan as New Zealand and Argentina first and second respectively in Pool C. In Pool D, Ireland won their four matches to finish ahead of France. For the first time, there was no northern hemisphere representation in the semi-finals.
After squeezing through against Scotland, Australia went up a ger against Argentina to earn a spot in the final. Waiting for them were the reigning champions New Zealand. They also finished World Cup runners-up in and After a string of inconsistent performances in the s, which saw them exit the World Cup at the quarter-final stage, Australia have since turned their fortunes around. They finished third in the competition before claiming that runners-up place in England is one of the biggest nations in world rugby thanks to its standing in the game and the fact it invented the sport.
The English played their first match in , away to Scotland. The first meeting between the two countries, it was also the first international in rugby history. The team's emblem is the rose , which is why it is known in France as the "XV de la rose". England are very often regarded as the best team in the northern hemisphere. They are also the only nation from the northern hemisphere to have won the Rugby World Cup, in They finished runners-up in and At the World Cup, a tournament they hosted, England failed to progress beyond the pool phase for the first time in their history.
It was seen as the biggest disaster in their rugby history. While their record is less impressive than those of the four teams above, France are still a big name in international rugby.
They played their first match in , against England. The national team is nicknamed Les Bleus. Its emblem is the cockerel. Like virtually every other country, Ireland played their first match against England, in The national team's emblem is the shamrock , which is also the symbol of Ireland. Wales are one of the top rugby nations in the northern hemisphere. They played their first match in , against an English club.
The national team's emblem is the Prince of Wales' feathers , which adorn its famous red jerseys. Another of the team's symbols is the leek.
Legend has it that prior to a battle that took place in a field of leeks, the Welsh were ordered by their king to wear the vegetable to distinguish themselves from their foes. The Scots played their first international match in against England, a match they won.
The national team's emblem is the thistle , a prickly flower that is one of Scotland's national symbols. The Scots wear blue jerseys with a thistle badge and white shorts.
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