RUGBY UNION - WORLD CUP
1987
Semi-Final - France (30) v (24) Australia - France, led by Serge Blanco, beat the Wallabies on their own turf with the winning try in the last minute (8+, some occasional jumpiness in the 1st half , 2 Discs, ABC - Bray/Ella, PAL)
Semi-Final - New Zealand (49) v (6) Wales - The All Blacks won a place in the final with a devastating display of attacking rugby to humble a good Welsh team. New Zealand used a strong pack to overwhem the Welsh and 2 tries from John Kirwan showed the finishing touch to win the game. Wales featured Jonathan Davies (8, 1 Disc, ITV - Starmer-Smith/Beaumont, PAL)
3rd Place Playoff - Wales (22) v (21) Australia - In the battle for the Bronze medal place, the Welsh upset the Aussies, scoring a try and a conversion in the final minutes for the upset win. Australia were reduced to 14 players within the first 5 minutes but had the lead with 3 minutes remaining when Wales worked an opportunity that Adrian Hadley converted for a try. Paul Thorburn then stroked over the winning kick from the touchline. Australia featured David Campese, Matt Burke, Michael Lynagh and Simon Poidevin. Wales featured Jonathan Davies, Ieuan Evans and John Devereux (8, 1 Disc, TVNZ - Quinn/Kirten, PAL)
Final - France (9) v (29) New Zealand - The All Blacks won the 1st ever World Cup on home turf behind the kicking of Grant Fox (17 points) and a devastating 2nd half spell that produced 3 tries (8, Slight Pixellation, 1 Disc, TVNZ - Quinn/Kirten, PAL)
1991
Quarter Final - Australia (19) v (18) Ireland - David Campese put the Wallabies on his back and set up the game winning try in the last minute to stun the Irish crowd (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Symonds/Carr/Calcraft, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (19) v (10) France - In a fiery encounter, the English used a strong forward-oriented attack to wear down the French and claim the win with 3 penalties from Jon Webb and 2 tries, 1 from Rory Underwood and 1 from the captain Will Carling. The game marked the last ever for French great Serge Blanco (9, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith/Kirk, PAL)
Semi-Final - Australia (16) v (6) New Zealand - David Campese was outstanding as he scored a try and made a try (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Hignell/Kirk/Calcraft, PAL)
Semi-Final - England (9) v (6) Scotland - England advanced to their 1st World Cup Final with a tight, forward-orientated win at Murrayfield. Scotland had the better of the 1st half and opened up a 6-0 lead with 2 penalties from Gavin Hastings after 30 minutes, but the English responded with a penalty of their own from Jonathan Webb to reduce the deficit to 6-3 at the half. Webb then kicked another penalty to level the scores at 6-6 with 57 minutes gone. The game turned when Gavin Hastings missed a sure penalty from in front of the posts allowing England to steal the win with a drop-goal from Rob Andrew with 7 minutes remaining. England also featured Will Carling, Rory Underwood, Paul Ackford, Mike Skinner, Brian Moore and Wade Dooley. Scotland featured David Sole, Craig Chalmers, Doddie Weir, Findlay Calder, Scott Hastings and Tony Stanger (8, Downloaded from the internet - Transfer from official Video, 1 Disc, BBC - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Final - England (6) v (12) Australia - In front of a packed crowd at Twickenham, Australia claimed their 1st World Cup. Despite England dominating possession, the Wallabies used a great defensive game-plan to hold the English attack in check then capitalised on their own chances to take a 9-0 lead in at the half. The 2nd half continued in the same vein, with Australia keeping England at arms length despite conceding 2 penalties, and the Wallabies held on for the win. The Australia try came from Tony Daly with Michael Lynagh adding 2 penalties. The England points came from 2 penalties by Jonathan Webb. Australia also featured David Campese, Nick Farr-Jones, John Eales, Viliami Ofahengaue and Simon Poidevin. England also featured Will Carling, Jeremy Guscott, Rob Andrew, Brian Moore and Jason Leonard (9, Transfer from official VHS, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Calcraft, PAL)
1995
Pool B - England (24) v (18) Argentina - England opened their World Cup campaign with a dour win at Kings Park in Durban. On a slick field, England opted for a conservative game-plan with Rob Andrew using the kicking game to lead England to a 12-0 lead at the break. Argentina mounted a comeback in the 2nd half but England kept their noses in front and ran out winners. All the England points came from the boot of Rob Andrew (6 penalties + 2 drop goals). Argentina scored tries from Lisandro Arbizu and Patricio Noriega. England also featured Will Carling, Jeremy Guscott, Mike Catt, Dewi Morris, Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard and Brian Moore (8, Downloaded from the Internet, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Quarter Final - Australia (22) v (25) England - In a tightly-contested game, England knocked out the reigning World Champions but needed a last second piece of magic from Rob Andrew to do it. Each team only scored 1 try (Rory Underwood for England and Damian Smith for Australia), with Rob Andrew and Michael Lynagh each kicking 5 goals. As the game entered the last minute tied at 22-22, England had 1 last chance on attack and Rob Andrew stole the win with a 40 metre drop-goal to send England to the Semi-Finals. In defeat, Lynagh became the 1st ever player to reach 900 test points (8, 1 Disc, Prime - Bray/Handy, NTSC)
Semi-Final - New Zealand (45) v (29) England - Jonah Lomu destroyed England with 4 tries and a devastating display of power rugby (8, 1 Disc, Eurosport - Dickenson/Uttley, PAL)
Semi-Final - South Africa (19) v (15) France - South Africa qualified for the final with a dogged display, building a lead in the monsoon conditions and then holding on with a try-line stand in the final moments (9, 1 Disc, SKY NZ - Nisbett/Hart, PAL)
Final - South Africa (15) v (12) New Zealand - South Africa united the country with Joel Stransky kicking the winning drop-goal in extra-time (8, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith/Norling, PAL)
1999
Pool B - England (101) v (10) Tonga - England confirmed their spot in the knockout round with a big win against an ill-disciplined Tongan team. Tonga played England tough in the 1st half but when they had a man sent off for fighting and also had 2 players sin-binned, all in a 3 minute spell before the half, England capitalised to pull away and lead 38-10 at the half. England kept Tonga scoreless in the 2nd half while racking up over 100 points for the game. The England tries came from Jeremy Guscott (2), in his final game for England, Phil Greening (2), Dan Luger (2), Austin Healey (2), Will Greenwood (2), Matt Dawson, Matt Perry and Richard Hill with Paul Grayson kicking 12 conversions and 4 penalties. The Tonga try came from Tevita Tiueti (8, Copied from internet, 2 Discs, ITV - Smith/Taylor, PAL)
Quarter-Final - England (21) v (44) South Africa - South Africa used an unorthodox game-plan to defeat the English, as fly-half Jannie De Beer kicked a record 5 drop-goals and added 5 penalties to frustrate Clive Woodward's team. Paul Grayson kicked 6 penalties for England but didn't score a try (7, 1 Disc, Supersport - Bladen/Stransky, PAL)
Semi-Final - France (43) v (31) New Zealand - In one of the greatest games ever, France comeback from a 24-10 deficit to stun the All Blacks (10, Official DVD, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
2003
Group A - Australia (142) v (0) Namibia - Australia recorded the largest ever winning margin in Rugby World Cup history with a points explosion at the Adelaide Oval. Australia led 69-0 at half-time and finished the game having scored 22 tries. The tries came from Chris Latham (5), David Lyons, Stirling Mortlock, Lote Tuqiri (3), Mat Rogers (2), Jeremy Paul, Matt Giteau (3), Nathan Grey, Morgan Turinui (2), Matt Burke, John Roe and a Penalty try (9, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Robson/Salmon, PAL)
Group B - Japan (26) v (39) USA - The USA finally ended their 16 year win drought at the World Cup by beating Japan in Gosford. Led by fly-half Mike Hercus (1 try, 4 conversions, 2 penalties), the USA took a 20-10 lead in at the half, and despite a spirited fight-back from the Japanese, the USA clinched the win with 2 late tries. The USA tries came from Hercus, Phillip Eloff, Kort Schubert, Riaan van Zyl and Kirk Khasigian. The USA also featured Dan Lyle. The Japan tries came from Toru Kurihara, who also kicked 16 points, and Daisuke Ohata. Japan also featured captain Andrew Millar (8, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Starmer-Smith/Sole, PAL)
Group C - South Africa (72) v (6) Uruguay - South Africa opened their World Cup campaign with a big win at the Subiaco Oval in Perth. They scored 12 tries in total, using strong forward play and explosive breaks, and built on a 36-6 lead at the half with 6 more unanswered tries in the 2nd half to coast home. The South Africa tries came from Joost van der Westhuizen (3), Joe van Niekerk, Bakkies Botha (2), Tinus Delport, Jacque Fourie, Richard Bands, Danie Rossouw, Hendro Scholtz and Willie Greef. All the Uruguay points came from the boot of captain Diego Aguirre. The tries scored by Joost van der Westhuizen were the last he scored as an international player (9, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Group C - England (84) v (6) Georgia - England opened their World Cup campaign with a big win in Perth. England scored 12 tries from 10 different players. After a tough start, England warmed-up to take a 34-3 lead at half-time and didn't ease off in the 2nd half, running out easy winners. The England tries came from Mike Tindall, Matt Dawson, Steve Thompson, Neil Back, Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Greenwood (2), Mark Regan, Ben Cohen (2), Jason Robinson and Dan Luger. Jonny Wilkinson added 16 points with the boot (2 versions : 9, 2020 re-broadcast - Full Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL / 8, Downloaded from the Internet - Full Game, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Group C - England (25) v (6) South Africa - The much-anticipated clash of the big-boys in Group C went the way of the English, as they won a hard-fought match in Perth to stay unbeaten in the group. The game was decided with the boot as England's Jonny Wilkinson kicked 4 penalties and 2 drop-goals while South Africa's Louis Koen missed 4 of his 6 penalties, with all the misses coming in a tight 1st half. With England leading 12-6 in the 63rd minute, Will Greenwood scored the only try of the game to give England breathing room and they saw out the game with great Defense to take the win (2 versions : 9, 2020 re-broadcast - Full Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL / 10, Full Game, 1 Disc, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Group C - England (111) v (13) Uruguay - A 2nd-string England team ended their group phase of the World Cup in Brisbane with their biggest ever World Cup win, running in 17 tries against the over-matched Uruguayans. England scored 6 tries in the 1st half en-route to a 42-6 lead at the half and completed the rout with 11 more tries in the 2nd half. The England tries came from Lewis Moody, Josh Lewsey (5), Iain Balshaw (2), Mike Catt (2), Andy Gomarsall (2), Dan Luger, Stuart Abbott, Jason Robinson (2) and Will Greenwood. Paul Grayson, starting in place of Johnny Wilkinson who was rested, added 22 points on 11 conversions. The Uruguay try came from Pablo Lemoine (2 versions : 9, 2020 re-broadcast - Full Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Starmer-Smith/Smith, PAL / 10, Full Game, 1 Disc, ITV - Starmer-Smith/Smith, PAL)
Group C- South Africa (60) v (10) Samoa - South Africa booked their place in the quarter-final with a strong win over Samoa at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Samoa struggled against the Springbok forwards and were also let down by poor passing when the did get a chance to run against the Backs. The Springboks scored 8 tries, with the first coming after 93 seconds, and never looked in trouble in the match. They led 31-3 at the half and ran in 4 more tries in the 2nd half to win and book their place in the knockout round. The South Africa tries came from Joe van Niekerk, Jorrie Muller, Derick Hougaard, Juan Smith, Ashwin Willemse, Jacque Fourie, Jaco Van Der Westhuyzen and Neil De Kock. The Samoa try came from Opeta Palepoi with Earl Va'a kicking 4 points. South Africa also featured Joost van der Westhuizen in what was his final win as an international player. Samoa also featured Brian Lima (9, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL)
Group D - New Zealand (53) v (37) Wales - In a shootout at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Wales pushed the number 1 team in the World hard in both teams final group game. The Welsh were big underdogs but used an expansive attack to put the All Blacks under pressure and were only 1 point behind with 12 minutes to play. In the end, though, the Kiwis wore down the Welsh and scored 2 tries in the final 12 minutes to record a win that looked more comfortable than it really was. The New Zealand tries came from Joe Rokocoko, Leon MacDonald, Ali Williams, Doug Howlett (2), Carlos Spencer and Aaron Mauger with MacDonald also adding 13 points with the boot. The Wales tries came from Mark Taylor, Sonny Parker, Colin Charvis and Shane Williams with Stephen Jones kicking 17 points (2 versions : 9, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Sole, PAL / 10, Official DVD - Australian commentary - Full game, 1 Disc, CH7 - Bray/Handy, PAL)
Quarter Final - New Zealand (29) v (9) South Africa - New Zealand booked their place in the Semi-Finals with a comprehensive win over South Africa at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne. The All Blacks neutralised the Springboks strength in the forwards and denied them any chance of winning the game. South Africa struggled for possession in the first half and went in at the break trailing 13-6. Despite an improvement in the 2nd half, the All Blacks denied the Springboks any chance of a try and pulled away themselves for the win. The New Zealand tries came from Leon MacDonald, Keven Mealamu and Joe Rockocoko, with Rockocoko's try set up by a sensational "through-the-legs" pass from Carlos Spencer. All of the South Africa points came from the boot of Derick Hougaard. South Africa also featured Joost van der Westhuizen in what was his final game as an international player (9, 2020 re-broadcast - No Pre-Game, Half-Time or Post-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Starmer-Smith/Smith, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (28) v (17) Wales - England booked their place in the Semi-Final with a tough, hard-fought win in Brisbane. Wales dominated the 1st half and led 10-3 at the break. England re-grouped at the half, and scored 16 unanswered points to wrestle back the initiative. Wales faded as the game wore on and England wrapped up the win with a late drop goal. The England try came from Will Greenwood while Johnny Wilkinson added 23 points with the boot. The Wales tries came from Stephen Jones, Colin Charvis and Martyn Williams (2 versions : 9, 2020 re-broadcast - Full Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Taylor/Smith, PAL / 9, Australian commentary - Full game, 2 Discs, CH7 - Bray/Handy/Martin/Horan, PAL)
2007
Group D - Argentina (17) v (12) France - In the opening game of the tournament, Argentina scored a major upset of the joint favourites and hosts, France. Argentina kicked 4 penalties and scored the game's lone try, scored by Corleto (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group A - South Africa (59) v (7) Samoa - South Africa dominated a very physical Samoa team with Bryan Habana scoring 4 tries and Percy Montgomery adding 29 points (10, 1 Disc, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group A - England (0) v (36) South Africa - Defending champions England were totally outclassed by a strong South African team. England fell to their worst ever World Cup loss as Percy Montgomery hit on 4 penalties and JP Pietersen scored 2 tries (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group D - Ireland (3) v (25) France - France knew that a loss would see them sensationally eliminated from the tournament. Scrum-Half Jean Baptiste Ellisalde kicked 5 penalties and wing Vincent Clerc scored 2 tries, 1 from an amazing chip through from Frederic Michalak, to secure the win (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group A - South Africa (30) v (25) Tonga - Tonga almost created the biggest ever World Cup shock as a 2nd string South Africa team had to withstand a 2nd half Tongan onslaught. After South Africa had taken a 27-10 lead in the 2nd half they eased off the gas and Tonga managed to pull within 27-22. But the Boks managed to hold on and won the match and the group (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Champion/Hastings, PAL)
Group A - England (44) v (22) Samoa - England finally put together a strong performanc against the powerful Samoans. England scored 4 tries, 2 from Paul Sackey and 2 from Martin Corry. .Johnny Wilkinson scored 24 points (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group A - England (36) v (20) Tonga - England qualified for the Quarter Finals in a winner-takes-all game. England scored 4 tries with 2 from Paul Sackey, 1 from Mathew Tait and 1 from Andy Farrell, his 1st for England (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Group B - Fiji (38) v (34) Wales - Fiji shocked the Welsh with an awesome display of attacking rugby as they survived a 2nd half comeback from Wales and won the game with a try 3 minutes from the end. Wales found themselves down 25-3 down early on but recovered with a fantastic spell of running rugby in the 2nd half to lead 34-31 with 6 minutes left befoe Fiji scored the winner (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Symonds/Greenwood, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (12) v (10) Australia - England shocked the Wallabies with an inspired display from the Forwards, especially Andrew Sheridan. The Australia scrum was completely dominated and when the ball was moved out wide the English defense was strong. Johnny Wilkinson kicked 4 penatlies for all of England's points (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Quarter Final - France (20) v (18) New Zealand - In a huge shock, the French cameback from a 13-0 deficit to stun the hot favourites and knock them out. Tries from Luke McAlister and Rodney So'oialo for the All Blacks, were off-set by tries from Thierry Dusautoir and Yannick Jauzion. The game was the final All Blacks match for Byron Kelleher and Anton Oliver (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Champion/Mexted, PAL)
Quarter Final - South Africa (37) v (20) Fiji - The Boks ended the cinderella run of the Fijians with a shaky performance. South Africa opened up a 20-6 lead with strong play from the forwards but 2 tries in 2 minutes in the 2nd half levelled the game and shook the Boks. Percy Montgomery steadied the ship and a late try from Butch James sealed the win (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Symonds/Greenwood, PAL)
Semi-Final - England (14) v (9) France - In a huge upset, the English upset the hosts in their own backyard with a sensational game of defensive rugby and opportunistic rugby that saw them reach their 2nd consecutive final. England scored in the 2nd minute with a Josh Lewsey try but fell behind 9-8 with 10 minutes left. Johnny Wilkinson then landed a penalty and a drop goal to seal the upset win (10, 3 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Semi-Final - South Africa (37) v (13) Argentina - Argentina picked a bad time to play their worst game of the tournament as they committed numerous turnovers to gift the South Africans tries and the win. The Boks scored on 2 interception tries, 1 by Fourie Du Preez and 1 by Bryan Habana cantered into their 2nd Final (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Champion/Greenwood, PAL)
Final - England (6) v (15) South Africa - South Africa secured their 2nd World Cup title with a strong defensive effort and a sound kicking game from Butch James, Francois Steyn and Percy Montgomery. England were led by Johnny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson, who played his last ever match (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
2011
Group A - New Zealand (41) v (10) Tonga - New Zealand opended the World Cup on home turf with a comfortable win over Tonga. The All Blacks led 29-3 at the half and coasted home in the 2nd half. The New Zealand tries came from Israel Dagg (2), Richard Kahui (2), Jerome Kaino and Ma'a Nonu with Dan Carter adding 3 conversions and a penalty. The Tonga try came from Alisona Taumalolo (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Gillingham/Gomarsall, PAL)
Group A - New Zealand (83) v (7) Japan - New Zealand finally showed the form that has them as tournament favourites with a 13 try win over Japan. The All Blacks scored early and then often as they raced out to a 38-7 lead at the half and coasted home. The 13 tries came from 11 different players with Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui (2), Jerome Kaino, Kevin Mealamu, Andy Ellis, Colin Slade, Sonny Bill Williams (2), Isaia Toeava, Andrew Hore, Ma'a Nonu and Adam Thomson all touching down. The Japan try came from an interception by Hirotoki Onozawa. The All Blacks were missing Richie McCaw and Dan Carter (injured) and Mils Muliaina (dropped) (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Gomarsall, PAL)
Group B - England (13) v (9) Argentina - England started their campaign with a hard-fought win against the South Americans. A succession of penalties resulted in a sin-binning that Argentina used to take a 6-3 lead at the half. England finally found a rhythm with the introduction of Ben Youngs in the 2nd half and he scored the decisive try to give England the lead and ultimately the win. Johnny Wilkinson had a terrible day with the boot, missing 5 penalties, but he was not alone as Argentina also missed 6 kicks (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Group B - England (41) v (10) Georgia - In a penalty-plagued game, England continued their unbeaten start to the tournament with a tight win in Dunedin. England led 17-10 at the half but gave away too many penalties to Georgia that were not converted that could have meant a different score. But England took control in the 2nd half, running in 4 tries to take the win. The England tries came from Shontayne Hape (2), Chris Ashton (2), Delon Armitage and Manu Tuilagi with Toby Flood kicking 4 penalties. Georgia's try came from Dimitri Basilaia with Merab Kvirikashvili kicking a penalty but he also missed 3 kicks before the half that could have changed the game (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Group B - England (67) v (3) Romania - England finally found their game with a dominating win over bottom-of-the-group Romania. England ran in 10 tries with Mark Cueto (3), Chris Ashton (3), Ben Youngs, Ben Foden, Manu Tuilagi and Tom Croft all touching down. England held a 34-3 lead at the half and were never in trouble throughout the game (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Group B - England (16) v (12) Scotland - England booked their place in the Quarter Finals at the expense of their old enemy, but the Scots made them work for their win. Scotland led 9-3 at the half but England stepped up their game in the 2nd half and clinched the win with a try from Chris Ashton in the final minutes. Scotland needed to win by 8 points or more to go through to the next round and looked like making it but spurned 2 try-scoring chances in the 2nd half that would have done the job. An Argentina win the following day confirmed the Scots exit from the World Cup (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery/Hastings, PAL)
Group C - Australia (6) v (15) Ireland - Ireland finally beat Australia in the World Cup at the 5th attempt as they shocked the Tri-Nations champions in Auckland. The teams were tied at 6-6 at the half, and the Irish made the most of their possessions in the 2nd half to keep the Aussies at bay and take the win. The heroes for Ireland were Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O'Gara who combined to kick all the points, but the ground work was laid by the Irish forwards who kept the Wallabies on the back foot throughout the game (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Ward/Quinlan, PAL)
Group D - Fiji (49) v (25) Namibia - In a shootout in Rotorua, Fiji withstood an early Namibian onslaught to run out winners. Fiji led 32-15 at the half, after Namibia had raced out to an early 9-7 lead with 3 drop goals, and then held on in the 2nd half for a comfortable victory. The Fiji tries came from Vereniki Goneva (4), Leone Nakarawa and Naipolioni Nalaga. The Namibia points came from tries by Heinze Koll and Chrysander Botha and 3 drop goals from Theuns Kotze. Namibia were led by captain Jacques Berger (Saracens) (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Symonds, PAL)
Group D - South Africa (17) v (16) Wales - South Africa claimed an opening round win in controversial fashion as they continued their 100 year old hex over the Welsh. The Boks led 10-6 at the half but were outplayed in the 2nd half by a rampant Welsh team, although their failure to turn possession into points would prove their downfall. Wales led 16-10 with 15 minutes to go when Francois Hougaard scored a try against the run of play and Morne Steyn kicked the conversion that gave the Boks a lead they wouldn't give up, although a last minute drop-goal attempt by Rhys Priestland came close to winning the match but drifted wide. The Welsh controversially had a penalty kick ruled as a miss in the 1st half when replays seemed to show that the kick was good. A successful kick would have ultimately given Wales the points they needed to win. The Welsh try came from Toby Faletau (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Group D - South Africa (87) v (0) Namibia - On a record-setting day in Auckland, South Africa ruthlessly took apart their near-neighbours and showed their intent to retain the Webb-Ellis trophy. The Boks scored 12 tries with Gio Aplon (2), Bryan Habana, Jaque Fourie, Francois Steyn, Morne Steyn, Juan de Jongh (2), Francois Hougaard (2) and Danie Rossouw all touching down and they also added a penalty try. With his try, Bryan Habana set a new South Africa try-scoring record (39), overtaking the previous record holder Joost van der Westhuizen. South Africa led 31-0 at the half (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Group D - Wales (81) v (7) Namibia - Wales set a new national record score for their World Cup with a huge win over the struggling Namibians. Wales ran in 12 tries with Scott Williams (3), Aled Brew, Toby Faletau, Gethin Jenkins, George North (2), Jonathan Davies, Lloyd Williams, Lee Byrne and Alun Wyn Jones all crossing the line. Stephen Jones kicked 1 penalty and 6 conversions to go over 900 career points (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Gillingham/Owen, PAL)
Quarter Final - Ireland (10) v (22) Wales - Wales booked a place in their 1st World Cup Semi-Final since 1987 with a dominating win over the Irish. The Welsh played the better rugby and built on a 10-3 lead at the half with a strong 2nd half to take the win. The Welsh tries came from Shane Williams, Mike Phillips and Jonathan Davies with Rhys Priestland adding 7 points from kicks. The Irish try came from Keith Earls (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Ward/Quinlan/Owen, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (12) v (19) France - France exacted a measure of revenge for losses to England in World Cup semi-finals in 2003 and 2007 with a dominating win in Auckland. France led 16-0 at the half over a listless England team and despite a mini-revival late in the 2nd half by the English, the French held on to win. The French tries came from Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard. The English tries came from Ben Foden and Mark Cueto (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Vickery, PAL)
Semi-Final - France (9) v (8) Wales - France won through to their 3rd World Cup Final in controversial fashion as they rode the leg of kicker Morgan Parra (3 penalties) to a tight win over Wales. Wales played 61 minutes with only 14 men after captain Sam Warburton was sent off for a spearing tackle and despite playing excellent defense, the Welsh effort fell short. Wales missed 3 kicks that would have made the difference including a game-tieing conversion after Mike Phillips had scored the games' only try (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Owen, PAL)
Semi-Final - Australia (6) v (20) New Zealand - New Zealand booked a place in the World Cup Final for the 1st time since 1995 with a huge win against their near-neighbours. The All Blacks dominated the game throughout but couldn't pull away until late in the game. The lone try for the All Blacks came from Ma'a Nonu and Piri Weepu kept the scoreboard turning with 4 penalties. The Aussies spent the majority of the game in their own half and could only muster a Penalty and a Drop Goal. New Zealand also featured big games from Richie McCaw and Aaron Cruden but the Aussies star back-line of Quade Cooper, James O'Connor and Adam Ashley-Cooper had very little impact in the game (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Dallaglio, PAL)
Bronze Match - Wales (18) v (21) Australia - Australia claimed 3rd place in the competition with a sloppy win against the undermanned Welsh. The Aussies led 7-3 at the half and capitalised on penalties and turnovers by the Welsh to seal the win with a late try before Wales scored a last-play try to give the score some respectability. The man-of-the-match was Aussie Berrick Barnes who scored a try and kicked a drop goal. The other Australian try came fom Ben McCalman while James O'Connor kicked 2 penalties. The Welsh tries came from Shane Williams and Leigh Halfpenny (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Owen, PAL)
Final - France (7) v (8) New Zealand - New Zealand re-claimed the World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a tight and tense win in Auckland. An early try from Tony Woodcock gave the All Blacks the edge at the half but the French fought back to 8-7 with a try from captain Thierry Dusautoir. After a tense final minutes, New Zealand held on to take the win and claim the Cup. The All Blacks were led by captain Richie McCaw and also featured 4th string half-back Stephen Donald, whose penalty kick in the 2nd half proved to be the game-winner (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Dallaglio, PAL)
2015
Pool A - England (35) v (11) Fiji - England opened the World Cup with a hard-fought win at Twickenham. England were designated the away team and were playing in Red. England started fast and held an early 15-0 lead but Fiji fought their way back into the game and put the hosts under pressure. But England coach Stuart Lancaster brought on fresh legs with 20 minutes to go and the tide turned as England ran in 2 late tries to seal the win and the bonus point for scoring 4 tries. The England tries came from Mike Brown (2), Billy Vunipola and a Penalty try. The Fiji try came from Nemani Nadolo. Disc 1 includes the opening ceremony (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
Pool A - England (25) v (28) Wales - In a tight, tense and emotional game at Twickenham, Wales turned around a 10 point deficit to leave England on the brink of elimination from the World Cup. England led 16-9 at the half and 22-12 with 30 minutes left in the game, but Wales rallied with a try and 2 penalties to win the game. Wales lost 3 players from their back-line to injury but their forwards stepped up to take England on and force several costly penalties that sealed the win for the Welsh. The England try came from Jonny May and Owen Farrell kicked 20 points. The Welsh try came from Gareth Davies with Dan Biggar kicking 7 penalties (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Dallaglio/S.Williams, PAL)
Pool A - England (13) v (33) Australia - England sensationally were knocked out of the World Cup with their heaviest ever home defeat to the Aussies. The star for the Green and Gold was Bernard Foley who scored 26 points (2 tries, 2 conversions and 4 penalties). England suffered from indiscipline, giving away 9 penalties, and also turned the ball over 8 times, with Aussies David Pocock and Michael Hooper the main protagonists. Australia led 17-3 at the half but England fought back to 20-13 with 15 minutes to go. The game turned on the sin-binning of Owen Farrell for England and the subsequent penalty put Australia into an insurmountable lead that they defended to the end. The England try came from Anthony Watson. The clinching Australia try in the final seconds came from Matt Giteau (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
Pool A - England (60) v (3) Uruguay - England completed their World Cup with a 10-try win at the City of Manchester Stadium. England dominated the game from the start and posted a 21-3 lead at the half. The 2nd half followed a similar pattern and England ran in 7 more tries to finish 3rd in Pool A. The England tries came from Anthony Watson (3), Nick Easter (3), Henry Slade, Jack Nowell (3) and a penalty try (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay, PAL)
Pool A - Australia (15) v (6) Wales - The battle for top spot in Pool A was settled in a very physical encounter at Twickenham. Both teams Defenses were immense with neither side able to score a try. The game was settled by the boot of Australian Bernard Foley who kicked 5 penalties. Australia held a 9-6 lead at the half and looked certain to lose the game when they were reduced to 13 men in the 2nd half as Dean Mumm and Will Genia were bith sin-binned. But the Defense held firm under intense Welsh pressure and a late penalty from Foley sealed the win. All the Welsh points came from 2 penalties by Dan Biggar (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Williams/Flatman, PAL)
Pool B - South Africa (32) v (34) Japan - In arguably the greatest World Cup upset ever, Japan used a last play try to beat the 2 time World Champions in the tournament opener for both sides. Both teams traded scores throughout the match with South Africa using their size and ability to over-run the Japanese, and the Japanese using a quick pace and strong attacking play to run around the Boks. South Africa led 32-29 as the clock signalled extra-time with the Japanese camped 5 metres out from the Boks try line. The Japanese won a penalty to tie the game but decided to go for the win and, after several phases of attacking play, finally found a gap and scored the game-winning try. The Japanese tries came from Michael Leitch, Ayumu Goromaru and Karne Hesketh with Ayumu Goromaru adding 5 penalties. The South African tries came from Francois Louw, Bismark du Plessis, Lood de Jager and Adriaan Strauss (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Gillingham/S.Williams, PAL)
Pool B - South Africa (64) v (0) USA - South Africa confirmed their place in the Quarter Finals with a big win at the Olympic Stadium. Both teams were evenly matched in the 1st half, with South Africa holding a slim 14-0 lead at the break. But the Boks stepped up a gear in the 2nd half and ran in 8 tries to comfortably beat the USA. The tries came from Damien de Allende, Bismarck du Plessis, Francois Louw (2), Jesse Kriel, Lwazi Mvovo and Bryan Habana (3). With his 3 tries, Habana equalled the tournament's all-time tries scored record held by Jonah Lomu (15) (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Murphy, PAL)
Pool C - Tonga (10) v (17) Georgia - Georgia claimed a big win in their group, upsetting the 2011 Quarter Finalists at the Kingsholm Stadium. Both teams were very physical but it was the Georgians that made the most of their chances, building on a 10-3 lead at the half and clinching the win with great defense in the final 8 minutes when down to 14 men. Georgia were led by a huge game from captain Mamuka Gorgodze who scored their 1st try and racked up a huge 27 tackles. The other Georgia try came from Giorgi Tkhilaishvili. The Tonga try came from Fetu'u Vainikolo but Tonga also had 2 other tries ruled out by the TMO (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Champion/S.Hastings, PAL)
Pool C - New Zealand (58) v (14) Namibia - At the Olympic Stadium in London, the #1 ranked team in the world faced off against the #20 ranked team in the world. The result was never in doubt, with New Zealand running out to a 34-6 lead at the half then coasting home. Namibia put up a good fight and were rewarded with a try in the 2nd half. New Zealand started with Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu on the bench. The New Zealand tries came from Victor Vito, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Malakai Fekitoa, Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea (2), Ben Smith and Codie Taylor. The Namibia try came from Johan Deysel (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Ward/Murphy, PAL)
Quarter Final - South Africa (23) v (19) Wales - South Africa booked a place in the Semi-Finals with a tough, comeback win at Twickenham. The Welsh led 13-12 at the half but the Boks fought back in the 2nd half and won the game with a 75th minute try from Fourie du Preez. The other South African points came from Handre Pollard (5 penalties, 1 drop goal). The Welsh try came from Gareth Davies and Dan Biggar kicked 3 penalties and a drop goal (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Williams/Dallaglio, PAL)
Quarter Final - New Zealand (62) v (13) France - New Zealand avenged their loss to France in the 2007 World Cup with a comprehensive win in Cardiff. The All Blacks ran in 4 tries in the 1st half to take a 29-13 lead in at the break then coasted home in the 2nd half. The All Blacks tries came from Brodie Retallick, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian Savea (3), Jerome Kaino, Kieran Read and Tawera Kerr-Barlow (2). The France try came from Louis Picamoles (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Flatman, PAL)
Quarter Final - Ireland (20) v (43) Argentina - Argentina upset the Irish in Cardiff to book a place in the Semi-Finals for the 2nd tournament in succession. The Pumas started fast and held a 17-0 lead after 13 minutes and a 20-10 lead at the half. The Irish tried to mount a comeback in the 2nd half, and pulled with 3 points, but the Pumas scored 2 late tries to finish of the game. The Argentina tries came from Matias Moroni, Juan Imhoff (2) and Joaquin Tuculet. The Irish tries came from Luke Fitzgerald and Jordi Murphy (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Gillingham/Kay/Quinlan, PAL)
Quarter Final - Australia (35) v (34) Scotland - Australia won through to the Semi-Finals in controversial fashion, using a last minute penalty to knock out the Scots. Underdog Scotland took a 16-15 lead in at the half, and kept the high-scoring Aussies within touching distance throughout the 2nd half using a charged down kick returned for a try and an interception returned for a try to hold a 35-32 lead as the game entered the final minute. But the Aussies won a controversial penalty for deliberate offside and Bernard Foley kicked the penalty for the win. The Aussies tries came from Drew Mitchell (2), Adam Ashley-Cooper, Michael Hooper and Tevita Kuridrani. The Scotland tries came from Peter Horne, Tommy Seymour and Mark Bennett (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Champion/S.Hastings/Flatman, PAL)
Semi-Final - New Zealand (20) v (18) South Africa - In the rain at Twickenham, New Zealand booked a place in their 2nd straight World Cup Final with a bruising come-from-behind win. Although the All Blacks controlled possession and territory in the 1st half, the Springboks capitalised on handling errors and penalties to go in at the break with a 12-7 lead. But in the 2nd half, the All Blacks tidied up their game and scored 10 unanswered points to take control of the match and they defended their lead to the end. The New Zealand tries came from Jerome Kaino and Beauden Barrett with Dan Carter adding 8 points with the boot. All the South Africa points came from the boot of Handre Pollard and Pat Lambie (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/S.Williams/Dallaglio, PAL)
Semi-Final - Australia (29) v (15) Argentina - Australia booked their place in their 4th final with a tough, hard fought win at Twickenham. The Aussies started the better and scored 3 tries en-route to a 19-9 lead at the half, but the Pumas fought back to within 7 points in the 2nd half. The Aussies held on though, and a late try secured the win. The Aussies tries came from Adam Ashley-Cooper (3) and Rob Simmons. All the Pumas points came from the boot of Nicolas Sanchez (5 penalties) (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Kay/Flatman, PAL)
Bronze Match - South Africa (24) v (13) Argentina - South Africa claimed the Bronze medal at the World Cup with a dominating win over the Pumas. The Boks conceded possession and territory to the Pumas but scored when the chances were offered. The Boks lead 16-0 at the half and consolidated their lead with another try in the 2nd half, and ran out comfortable winners. The South Africa tries came from JP Pietersen and Eben Etzebeth with Handre Pollard kicking 4 penalties. The Argentina try came from Juan Pablo Orlandi with Nicolas Sanchez adding a penalty and a drop-goal. The game proved to be the final international match for South Africa's Victor Matfield (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Hastings/Flatman, PAL)
Final - New Zealand (34) v (17) Australia - In arguably the greatest World Cup final ever, New Zealand held on against their Southern Hemisphere neighbours to win their 2nd consecutive World Cup and their 3rd World Cup overall. The All Blacks had the better of the 1st half and led 16-3 at the half. When they increased their lead to 21-3 at the start of the 2nd half the game seemed won. But the Aussies scored 2 unanswered tries to pull within 4 points and set up a tense final 15 minutes. The All Blacks sealed the win though, with Dan Carter kicking a drop goal and a penalty to put distance between the teams again and a late All Blacks try sealed the win. The All Blacks tries came from Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ma'a Nonu and Beauden Barrett. The Australia tries came from David Pocock and Tevita Kuridrani. The game proved the final international match for Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu and Dan Carter, who claimed the MVP award for the Final (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
2016
Legacy ! The 2015 Rugby World Cup - ITV looks back at the 2015 World Cup with insights from the people involved. Includes interviews with Eddie Jones, Heynecke Meyer and Nigel Owens among others + game action (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
2019
Pool A - Japan (28) v (21) Scotland - In front of a raucous crowd in Yokohama, Japan used a scintillating 1st half performance to beat Scotland and knock them out of the World Cup. Scotland needed to win with a bonus point to qualify for the knockout round, but Japan took over the game in the 1st half, answering an early Scotland try with 3 of their own to lead 21-7 at the half. Japan scored again after the break to go up 28-7, but Scotland rallied, running in 2 unanswered tries to pull within a score. The Japanese defense held firm for the remainder of the game, though, and despite heavy Scottish pressure, they held on to take the win. The Japan tries came from Kotaro Matsushima, Keita Inagaki and Kenki Fukuoka (2). The Scotland tries came from Finn Russell, WP Nel and Zander Fagerson (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Flatman/S.Hastings, PAL)
Pool B - New Zealand (23) v (13) South Africa - The 2 favourites for the Cup met in their opening World Cup match in Yokohama, and it was the defending champions New Zealand that won out over a tough South Africa team. The Springboks started the better and scored first with a penalty, but the All Blacks rattled off 17 unanswered points to go in at the break 17-3 in front. South Africa scored 10 straight points in the 2nd half to pull within 4 points, but the All Blacks held firm and hit back with 2 penalties of their own to seal the win. The New Zealand tries came from George Bridge and Scott Barrett with Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga kicking 9 points. The South Africa try came from Pieter-Steph du Toit (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Hastings/Roberts, PAL)
Pool B - South Africa (57) v (3) Namibia - South Africa won their first game of the tournament with an easy win over their near neighbours, the mostly amateur players from Namibia. The South African coach made 13 changes from the side that lost to New Zealand and they responded with 9 tries. The Springboks led 31-3 at the half then scored 4 more tries to seal the win, although Namibia took heart from not conceding any points in the final 17 minutes. The South Africa tries came from Mbongeni Mbonambi (2), Francois Louw, Makazole Mapimpi (2), Lukhanyo Am, Warrick Gelant, Siya Kolisi and Schalk Brits with Eric Jantjies kicking 12 points. The Namibia points came from a penalty from Cliven Loubser (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool C - England (35) v (3) Tonga - England started their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought and error-strewn win against Tonga. The South Sea Islanders matched England for the opening 24 minutes, but 2 tries from man-of-the-match Manu Tuilagi gave England an 18-3 lead at the half, and they pulled away in the 2nd half for a comfortable win. England committed 10 penalties and numerous handling errors but still managed to score 4 tries, with the other tries coming from Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie. England back-rower Billy Vunipola faced his country of birth for the 1st time, a country his father had captained at the 1999 World Cup (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool C - England (45) v (7) USA - England continued their unbeaten start to the World Cup with a resounding win against the USA in Kobe. England were never in trouble in the match, using a strong forward-orientated attack in the 1st half to build a 19-0 lead, then scored 4 more tries in the 2nd half to wrap up the win. The USA also had a man sent off in the 2nd half for a cheap-shot shoulder charge on Owen Farrell. The England tries came from Joe Cokanasiga (2), George Ford, Billy Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ruaridh McConnochie and Lewis Ludlam with man-of-the-match George Ford adding 10 points with the boot. The lone USA try came from Bryce Campbell (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool C - England (39) v (10) Argentina - England booked their place in the Quarter Finals with a 6-try win over Argentina in Tokyo. England expected a hard-hitting game, but the Pumas aggression got the better of them in the 1st half and when Tomas Lavanini illegally shoulder-charged Owen Farrell, referee Nigel Owens had no option but to show a red card. With Argentina a man down, England scored 22 unanswered points to end the game as a contest and book their place in the knockout round. The England tries came from Jonny May, Elliot Daly, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie. The lone Argentinian try came from Matias Moroni (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool D - Australia (25) v (29) Wales - In a shootout in Tokyo, Wales withstood a furious 2nd half fight-back from Australia to hold on and and take the big win. Wales started fast and took a 23-8 lead in at the half but Australia roared back, scoring 17 points to reduce the deficit to 26-25. Wales kicked a late penalty, though, to halt the Aussies momentum and held on for the win. The Welsh tries came from Hadleigh Parkes and Gareth Davies with Rhys Patchell and Dan Biggar combining for 19 points with the boot. The Australian tries came from Adam Ashley-Cooper, Dane Haylett-Petty and Michael Hooper (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Flatman/S.Williams, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (40) v (16) Australia - England booked a place in their first World Cup Semi-Final since 2007 with a comprehensive win over their big rivals, the Aussies. A tough-hitting 1st half ended with England up 17-6, but the Aussies scored just after the break to pull within 1 point. England didn't panic, though, and reeled off 23 unanswered points to crush the Aussies and take the win. The England tries came from Jonny May (2), Kyle Sinckler and Anthony Watson with Owen Farrell adding 20 points with the boot. The Australia try came from Marika Koroibete, a great finish, with Christian Lealiifano kicking 12 points (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/S.Williams, PAL)
Semi-Final - England (19) v (7) New Zealand - England stunned the reigning champions with a big upset win in Yokohama and booked their place in their first Final in 12 years. The loss was also the All Blacks first at a World Cup in 12 years. England started fast, scoring a try in the 2nd minute, and posted a 10-0 lead at the half. They didn't let up in the 2nd half and used great Defense and a solid kicking game to score the final 6 points of the game to take the win. The England try came from Manu Tuilagi with George Ford (4 penalties) and Owen Farrell (1 conversions) kicking 14 points. The New Zealand try came from Ardie Savea (10, 3 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
Semi-Final - Wales (16) v (19) South Africa - South Africa won an arm-wrestle in Yokohama, using a late penalty to book their place in their 3rd World Cup Final. In a tight 1st half, both teams played for field position and South Africa took their chances to go in at the break 9-6 up. Both teams scored a try in the 2nd half but the game turned a penalty conceded by the Welsh with 4 minutes to play. Handre Pollard stepped up to kick his 4th penalty of the game to take the lead, which the team defended to the end. The South Africa try came from Damian de Allende. The Welsh try came from Josh Adams (10, No Pre-Game, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Williams/Flatman, PAL)
Bronze Match - Wales (17) v (40) New Zealand - New Zealand continued their mastery over Wales with a convincing win in Tokyo, securing 3rd place in the tournament. Wales hadn't beat New Zealand since 1966, a string of 31 games, and despite controlling possession (59%) and territory (56%), Wales paid for poor tackling (34 missed tackles) that allowed New Zealand to rack up 580 metres and score 4 tries in the 1st half to lead 28-10 at the break. The Kiwis didn't let up in the 2nd half, scoring 2 more tries and ran out easy winners. The New Zealand tries came from Joe Moody, Beauden Barratt, Ben Smith (2), Ryan Crotty and Richie Mo'unga. The Wales tries came from Hallam Amos and Josh Adams. The game marked the final games as New Zealand coach and captain for Steve Hansen and Keiran Read respectively. Also, Wales coach Warren Gatland coached his final game after 12 years in charge (10, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/S.Williams/Flatman, PAL)
Final - England (12) v (32) South Africa - South Africa claimed their 3rd World Cup title in Yokohama, upsetting a strong England team with relentless Defense and an opportunistic Offense. South Africa capitalised on handling errors from England and a dominant scrum to build a 9-6 lead at the half with 3 penalty kicks from Handre Pollard. England attempted a comeback in the 2nd half but continued to make errors and South Africa punished them with 14 unanswered points to end the game. The South Africa tries came from Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe with Pollard adding 22 points with the boot. All of the England points came from the kicking of Owen Farrell. When South African captain Siya Kolisi lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft he made history as the first black captain to lift the trophy for the Springboks (10, 3 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
2023
Pool A - France (27) v (13) New Zealand - France opened the World Cup with an impressive win over 3-time Champions New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris. The All Blacks held a tight 13-9 lead early in the 2nd half before France scored 18 unanswered points to turn the game around and win the match. The France tries came from Damian Penaud and Melvyn Jaminet with Thomas Ramos also kicking 17 points. Both the New Zealand tries came from Mark Telea (2). Coverage does not include the Opening Ceremony (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Kay/Roberts, PAL)
Pool A - New Zealand (71) v (3) Namibia - New Zealand rebounded from their opening game loss with a comprehensive win over Namibia at the Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse. The All Blacks were never in trouble, running out to a 38-3 lead at the half and coasted home. The New Zealand tries came from Cam Roigard (2), Damian McKenzie (2), Leicester Faingaanuku, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ethan De Groot, Dalton Papali'i, David Havili, Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane. The Namibia points came from a penalty from Tiaan Swanepoel (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Hammond/Monye, PAL)
Pool B - South Africa (76) v (0) Romania - South Africa put down a marker for the tournament with a big win in Bordeaux against Romania. The Springboks were ruthless early on, securing a try bonus-point after 11 minutes and led 33-0 at half-time before coasting home in the 2nd half. The South Africa tries came from Cobus Reinach (3), Makazole Mapimpi (3), Damian Willemse, Deon Fourie, Grant Williams (2), Willie Le Roux and a Penalty try (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Gillingham/S.Hastings, PAL)
Pool B - South Africa (8) v (13) Ireland - A much-anticipated match-up at the Stade de France in Paris did not disappoint, as the #1 team in the World (Ireland) faced off against the current World Champions (South Africa). A brutal, hard-hitting match went the way of the Irish as they scored the final 6 points of the game and used a great defensive effort to seal the win. The Irish try came from Mack Hansen with Johnny Sexton adding 5 points with the boot. The South Africa try came from Cheslin Kolbe. The win was Ireland's 16th straight Test win (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/D'Arcy/Roberts, PAL)
Pool C - Wales (32) v (26) Fiji - In a shootout in Bordeaux, Wales survived a late scare from Fiji to open their campaign with a win. Wales looked in control with a 32-14 lead in the 2nd half, but Fiji scored 2 unanswered tries to pull within 6 points. In the final seconds, Fiji had one last chance to score a game-winning try but Semi Radradra dropped the ball with the Wales try line at his mercy and Wales held on for the win. The Wales tries came from Josh Adams, George North, Louis Rees-Zammit and Elliot Dee with Dan Biggar adding 12 points with the boot. The Fiji tries came from Waisea Nayacalevu, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Josua Tuisova and Mesake Doge (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Kay/S.Williams, PAL)
Pool C - Australia (15) v (22) Fiji - In a big upset at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, Fiji beat Australia for just the 3rd time in their history, and the first time since 1954. Unusually, Fiji relied on the kicking game to take a 12-8 lead in at the half then scored a try early in the 2nd half to build a big lead that they defended to the end. The Fiji try came from Josua Tuisova with man-of-the-match Simione Kuruvoli kicking 14 points. The Australia tries came from Mark Nawaqanitawase and Suliasi Vunivalu (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Hammond/Waterman, PAL)
Pool C - Wales (40) v (6) Australia - Wales became the first team to reach the knockout round with a record win over Australia in Lyon. Wales were in charge for the 1st half, but only led 16-6 at the break. The 2nd half belonged to the Welsh though, and they scored 24 unanswered points to win by their biggest margin of victory over the Wallabies since 1975. The Wales tries came from Gareth Davies, Nick Tompkins and Jac Morgan with Gareth Anscombe adding 23 points with the boot. The Australia points came from 2 penalties from Ben Donaldson (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/S.Williams/Roberts, PAL)
Pool D - England (27) v (10) Argentina - England opened their World Cup with a tough win, overcoming an early red card to beat Argentina in Marseille. England's Tom Curry was sent off in the 3rd minute for a clash of heads, but England responded with a masterclass of kicking from George Ford. He kicked 3 drop-goals to give England a 12-3 lead at half-time, then added a further 5 penalty kicks in the 2nd half to seal the win. The Argentina try came from Rodrigo Bruni (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool D - England (34) v (12) Japan - England stayed unbeaten in the group with a scrappy win in Nice. England held a slim 13-9 lead at the half, but after Japan kicked a penalty to move to within a point, England scored 21 unanswered points to pull away and take the victory. The England tries came from Lewis Ludlam, Courtney Lawes, Freddie Steward and Joe Marchant. All the Japan points came from 4 Penalty kicks from Rikiya Matsuda (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool D - England (71) v (0) Chile - A 2nd-string England finally showed their Offensive qualities with a big win against World Cup minnows, Chile. England scored 11 tries and took a 31-0 lead in at the half before coasting home in the 2nd half. The England tries came from Henry Arundell (5), Theo Dan (2), Bevan Rodd, Marcus Smith (2) and Jack Willis with Owen Farrell kicking 16 points (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Pool D - England (18) v (17) Samoa - England ended their group stage as group winners with a comeback win against Samoa at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Samoa were excellent all around the park and held a 17-11 lead with 7 minutes to play. But England scored a try and kicked the conversion to take a lead that they defended to the end. The England try came from Danny Care with Owen Farrell kicking 13 points. With the 13 points, Farrell surpassed Jonny Wilkinson as the leading Test points scorer for his country. The Samoa try came from Nigel Ah Wong (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Monye, PAL)
Quarter Final - Wales (17) v (29) Argentina - Argentina booked their place in the Semi-Finals with a comeback win in Marseille. Both teams were evenly matched but Wales tired late on as injuries started to mount up. Argentina were trailing 17-12 with 12 minutes to play when they scored 2 tries in 9 minutes to turn the game around and take the win. The Argentina tries came from Joel Scalvi and Nicolas Sanchez with Emiliano Boffelli kicking 16 points. The Wales tries came from Dan Biggar and Tomos Williams. After the game Dan Biggar announced his retirement from international rugby (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/S.Williams/Kay, PAL)
Quarter Final - Ireland (24) v (28) New Zealand - Ireland's Quarter Final curse struck again at the Stade de France in Paris, as they were knocked out of the World Cup by a determined New Zealand team. As the World's number 1 team, they were favoured to win. But the All Blacks used a big 2nd half performance, capped by a huge defensive stand on the 37-phase final passage of play from the Irish, to win the game. The win ended Ireland's 17-match winning run and the career of captain Johnny Sexton (7 points), who retired after the match. The New Zealand tries came from Leicester Fainga'anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan. The Ireland tries came from Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park and a penalty try (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/D'Arcy/Barclay, PAL)
Quarter Final - England (30) v (24) Fiji - England booked a place in their 2nd straight World Cup Semi-Final with a tight win over Fiji in Marseille. England were in control, building on a 21-10 half-time score, and were leading 24-10 when Fiji suddenly found their Offense and scored 2 quick tries to level the scores with 11 minutes to play. Luckily England had captain Owen Farrell, and in the final 8 minutes he kicked a drop-goal and a penalty kick to win the game. The England tries came from Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant. The Fiji tries came from Viliame Mata, Peni Ravai and Vilimoni Botitu (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
Quarter Final - France (28) v (29) South Africa - In one of the greatest World Cup games ever, World Champions South Africa overcame the tournament favourites France in a shootout at the Stade de France. Both sides scored 3 tries in a first half that saw the teams go toe-to-toe on Offense, but France went in at the break with a 22-19 lead thanks to a late penalty. The 2nd half was a Defensive arm-wrestle but South Africa turned the game around with the final 10 points of the game in the final 13 minutes to take the win book a place in their 2nd straight World Cup Semi-Final. The South Africa tries came from Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian De Allende, Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth. The France tries came from Cyril Baille (2) and Peato Mauvaka with Thomas Ramos (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Flatman/S.Hastings, PAL)
Semi-Final - England (15) v (16) South Africa - South Africa booked a place in their 2nd straight World Cup Final with a hard-fought win against England at the Stade de France in Paris. Unfancied England used a great game-plan to frustrate the Springboks, and England held a 12-6 lead at the half. An England drop-goal increased the lead to 15-6, but South Africa emptied the bench and the tactic turned the tide. South Africa scored 10 unanswered points including the game-winning penalty with 3 minutes to play to turn the game around and seal the win. The South Africa try came from Andre Snyman with Immanuel Libbok and Handre Pollard combining to kick 11 points. All the England points came from the boot of captain Owen Farrell (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Dallaglio, PAL)
Bronze Final - England (26) v (23) Argentina - England ended their World Cup the way they started ; with a win over Argentina and claimed the Bronze Medal. England raced out to a 13-0 lead before Argentina fought back to trail only 16-10 at the break. Both teams traded scores in the 2nd half but England had to survive a miss of a late tieing penalty by Argentina to celebrate the win and the Bronze Medal. The England tries came from Ben Earl and Theo Dan with Owen Farrell kicking 16 points. The Argentina tries came from Tomas Cubelli and Santiago Carreras (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Harrison/Kay/Flatman, PAL)
Final - South Africa (12) v (11) New Zealand - At the Stade de France in Paris, South Africa won their 4th World Cup Final and their 2nd straight Final with a tense and tight victory against the All Blacks. Both teams were evenly matched but the game turned in the 27th minute when New Zealand captain Sam Cane was sent off for a head-high tackle. South Africa then ran out to a 12-3 lead. But the All Blacks rallied, scoring 8 unanswered points to pull within a point of the Springboks. Both teams pushed for a decisive score in a furious final quarter of the game, but neither team could find it, and South Africa held on for the win. All the South Africa points came from the boot of Handre Pollard. The New Zealand try came from Beauden Barrett. After the game, All Blacks scrum half Aaron Smith retired (9, 2 Discs, ITV - Mullins/Kay/Warburton, PAL)