IT WASN’T THE tightness of the exchanges or the back-and-forth nature of how the game panned out, but rather the brilliance of a man who epitomised New Zealand rugby that puts this game in a select group of classic World Cup encounters.
Jonah Lomu delivered a performance of staggering intensity from start to finish, the towering winger crashing over for four tries in a five-star display.
The scoreline at the break read England 3 New Zealand 25 and though the underdogs outscored the All Blacks in the closing half, the quality served up by the latter had many followers believing they were witnessing the best side to have ever played the game.
If Lomu’s quartet of touchdowns attracted most of the plaudits, Andrew Mehrten’s penalty from halfway and number 8 Zinzan Brooke’s outrageous drop goal from 45 metres were no less jaw-dropping.
Despite playing with home advantage, Ireland were very much the underdogs in this quarter-final against Australia who made the last eight after topping a pool that contained Wales, Argentina and Western Samoa.
By contrast, the men in green finished runners-up to Scotland but ahead of both Zimbabwe and Japan.
Late in the game, watched by a crowd of almost 50,000, the hosts were still very much in the hunt when they trailed 15-12.
Incredibly, they went in front with seven minutes to go when flanker Gordon Hamilton touched down for what looked like the match-winning try and a place in the semi-finals against the All Blacks.
Alas, it wasn’t to be as a try by the outstanding Michael Lynagh turned an 18-15 deficit into a one-point win.
The Welsh were no strangers to south sea island embarrassment having been shocked by the Samoans in 1991 and 1999 so complacency can’t have been an excuse for this Pool B clash with outsiders Fiji.
To heighten the sense of occasion, it was a winner-takes-all pool game with the loser exiting the competition.
Tries (nine in all) were run in from everywhere, but the one that made all the difference was the late touchdown from Fijian Graham Dewes, a try that sparked scenes of wild celebrations.
It was an ugly final but a beautiful moment to see one of the sport’s iconic figures, Richie McCaw, lift the Webb Ellis Trophy at the end of an 8-7 arm wrestle against the French at Eden Park, Auckland. The All Blacks flattered to deceive before a home following desperate to win a first World Cup since 1987.
Fate seemed to have dealt them a cruel blow when Aaron Cruden, the stand-in for the stand-in for Dan Carter, went off with an injured knee and fourth-choice out-half Stephen Donald was brought on. So used to playing and executing open, expansive rugby, the hosts were forced to defend for their lives before eking out a penalty opportunity for the unheralded Donald.
At 5-0, the kick’s important was paramount – and at 35 metres out, dead in front of goal, it wasn’t difficult…save for the occasion. He nailed it and secured his and the game’s place in history.
Martin Johnson became the first person to lead a northern hemisphere side to World Cup glory while Jonny Wilkinson became a national icon when his last-gasp drop goal carved out a thrilling 20-17 win over the Wallabies.
It was tit-for-tat all evening before an attendance of 83,000 but England struck a decisive blow before half-time when Jason Robinson crashed over for 14-5.
Incredibly, they wouldn’t score in the second period as Australia came roaring back, levelling the match through an Elton Flatley penalty on the stroke of full-time.
But England gathered themselves, traded penalties in extra-time before Wilkinson pinged over the winner with 26 seconds left, with was supposed to be his weaker leg.
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Wales 13 Western Samoa 16
Pool 3, Cardiff Arms Park
6 October 1991
A contender for one of the biggest shocks in rugby history this, as the tiny island of Samoa, appearing in their first World Cup edged a team who finished third four years previously.
Wales still point to a try Samoa were incorrectly awarded at a crucial time in the second half as being the reason they lost and indeed, the referee was wrong when he adjudged centre Vaega beat Wales’ Robert Jones to the touchdown.
However, there can be no denying a more physically imposing, hungry and well-drilled Samoan side squeaked through on merit.
The All Blacks came into this semi-final as the hot favourites, keen to avenge their final defeat to South Africa four years earlier.
Lomu had been in inspiring form throughout the tournament and went over for two tries in a game rightly regarded as one of the best ever played at this level.
The game was following the script when the Kiwis settled into a 24-10 leaf but back roared the French scoring 33 points without reply until Jeff Wilson added respectability late on for a the beleaguered southern hemisphere kingpins.
Two decades on from that oh-so-close quarter-final at Lansdowne Road Ireland took some sweet revenge against a team billed as joint pre-tournament favourites.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll inspired his side to produce one of the country’s greatest championships performances in what was am extremely tactical affair. There were no tries, but it was up front where Ireland really hurt their opponents, the brilliance of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross going a long way to securing the win.
Four penalties and a drop goal were enough to send Ireland top of their group.
South Africa 13 Samoa 5
Pool D, Auckland
30 September, 2011
South Africa secured top spot in Pool D after an unbeaten run – but what a battle they had with minnows Samoa. Needing a win to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals, the Pacific Islanders crashed into their more-fancied opponents in a first-half played at a frightening intensity.
The Springboks moved 13-0 clear thanks to a Bryan Habana try and the boots of Morne and Francois Steyn but Samoa gave themselves a lifeline through a George Stowers touchdown on 51 minutes.
The final quarter had it all and the tempo of the game barely dipped as both teams went in search of a match-turning score.
Red and yellow cards were all part of it, as were countless thundering challenges but the favourites held firm.
Tonga 28 Italy 25
Pool B, Welford Road, Leicester
10 October 1999
Rarely is a game in the World Cup anything less than high-stakes and if these two had nothing other than pride to play for they certainly didn’t show it. To give an example of how far off the standard they were of Pool B pacesetters New Zealand and England, the latter put 101 points over Tonga while the All Blacks clocked a similar figure when dismantling the Italians.
Nonetheless, when they played each other, the game was treated as seriously as if it were the final of the tournament and for the entire 80 minutes the game hung in the balance.Both teams were desperate to avoid the wooden spoon, and it showed as they went at it hammer and tongs for the win.
Diego Dominguez’s last-gasp drop-goal appeared to have secured a draw for Italy – only for Sateki Tu’ipulotu to follow suit from inside his own half.
The final whistle saw unbridled scenes of joy on one side, unlimited despair on the other. The few thousand who witnessed it can say they saw one of the most absorbing games played at World Cup level.
The 10 greatest games the World Cup has seen
England 29 New Zealand 45
World Cup semi-final, Cape Town
18 June 1995
IT WASN’T THE tightness of the exchanges or the back-and-forth nature of how the game panned out, but rather the brilliance of a man who epitomised New Zealand rugby that puts this game in a select group of classic World Cup encounters.
Jonah Lomu delivered a performance of staggering intensity from start to finish, the towering winger crashing over for four tries in a five-star display.
The scoreline at the break read England 3 New Zealand 25 and though the underdogs outscored the All Blacks in the closing half, the quality served up by the latter had many followers believing they were witnessing the best side to have ever played the game.
If Lomu’s quartet of touchdowns attracted most of the plaudits, Andrew Mehrten’s penalty from halfway and number 8 Zinzan Brooke’s outrageous drop goal from 45 metres were no less jaw-dropping.
England fans can look away now.
Australia 19 Ireland 18
Quarter-final, Lansdowne Road
20 October 1991
Despite playing with home advantage, Ireland were very much the underdogs in this quarter-final against Australia who made the last eight after topping a pool that contained Wales, Argentina and Western Samoa.
By contrast, the men in green finished runners-up to Scotland but ahead of both Zimbabwe and Japan.
Late in the game, watched by a crowd of almost 50,000, the hosts were still very much in the hunt when they trailed 15-12.
Incredibly, they went in front with seven minutes to go when flanker Gordon Hamilton touched down for what looked like the match-winning try and a place in the semi-finals against the All Blacks.
Alas, it wasn’t to be as a try by the outstanding Michael Lynagh turned an 18-15 deficit into a one-point win.
The Wallabies would go on to win the tournament.
Wales 34 Fiji 38
Pool B, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
29 September 2007
The Welsh were no strangers to south sea island embarrassment having been shocked by the Samoans in 1991 and 1999 so complacency can’t have been an excuse for this Pool B clash with outsiders Fiji.
To heighten the sense of occasion, it was a winner-takes-all pool game with the loser exiting the competition.
Tries (nine in all) were run in from everywhere, but the one that made all the difference was the late touchdown from Fijian Graham Dewes, a try that sparked scenes of wild celebrations.
New Zealand 8 France 7
Final, Eden Park, Auckland
23 October 2011
It was an ugly final but a beautiful moment to see one of the sport’s iconic figures, Richie McCaw, lift the Webb Ellis Trophy at the end of an 8-7 arm wrestle against the French at Eden Park, Auckland. The All Blacks flattered to deceive before a home following desperate to win a first World Cup since 1987.
Fate seemed to have dealt them a cruel blow when Aaron Cruden, the stand-in for the stand-in for Dan Carter, went off with an injured knee and fourth-choice out-half Stephen Donald was brought on. So used to playing and executing open, expansive rugby, the hosts were forced to defend for their lives before eking out a penalty opportunity for the unheralded Donald.
At 5-0, the kick’s important was paramount – and at 35 metres out, dead in front of goal, it wasn’t difficult…save for the occasion. He nailed it and secured his and the game’s place in history.
England 20 Australia 17 (aet)
Final, Telstra Stadium, Sydney
22 November 2003
Martin Johnson became the first person to lead a northern hemisphere side to World Cup glory while Jonny Wilkinson became a national icon when his last-gasp drop goal carved out a thrilling 20-17 win over the Wallabies.
It was tit-for-tat all evening before an attendance of 83,000 but England struck a decisive blow before half-time when Jason Robinson crashed over for 14-5.
Incredibly, they wouldn’t score in the second period as Australia came roaring back, levelling the match through an Elton Flatley penalty on the stroke of full-time.
But England gathered themselves, traded penalties in extra-time before Wilkinson pinged over the winner with 26 seconds left, with was supposed to be his weaker leg.
Wales 13 Western Samoa 16
Pool 3, Cardiff Arms Park
6 October 1991
A contender for one of the biggest shocks in rugby history this, as the tiny island of Samoa, appearing in their first World Cup edged a team who finished third four years previously.
Wales still point to a try Samoa were incorrectly awarded at a crucial time in the second half as being the reason they lost and indeed, the referee was wrong when he adjudged centre Vaega beat Wales’ Robert Jones to the touchdown.
However, there can be no denying a more physically imposing, hungry and well-drilled Samoan side squeaked through on merit.
France 43 New Zealand 41
World Cup semi-final, Twickenham
31 October 1999
The All Blacks came into this semi-final as the hot favourites, keen to avenge their final defeat to South Africa four years earlier.
Lomu had been in inspiring form throughout the tournament and went over for two tries in a game rightly regarded as one of the best ever played at this level.
The game was following the script when the Kiwis settled into a 24-10 leaf but back roared the French scoring 33 points without reply until Jeff Wilson added respectability late on for a the beleaguered southern hemisphere kingpins.
Ireland 15 Australia 6
Pool C, Eden Park, Auckland
17 September 2011
Two decades on from that oh-so-close quarter-final at Lansdowne Road Ireland took some sweet revenge against a team billed as joint pre-tournament favourites.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll inspired his side to produce one of the country’s greatest championships performances in what was am extremely tactical affair. There were no tries, but it was up front where Ireland really hurt their opponents, the brilliance of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross going a long way to securing the win.
Four penalties and a drop goal were enough to send Ireland top of their group.
South Africa 13 Samoa 5
Pool D, Auckland
30 September, 2011
South Africa secured top spot in Pool D after an unbeaten run – but what a battle they had with minnows Samoa. Needing a win to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals, the Pacific Islanders crashed into their more-fancied opponents in a first-half played at a frightening intensity.
The Springboks moved 13-0 clear thanks to a Bryan Habana try and the boots of Morne and Francois Steyn but Samoa gave themselves a lifeline through a George Stowers touchdown on 51 minutes.
The final quarter had it all and the tempo of the game barely dipped as both teams went in search of a match-turning score.
Red and yellow cards were all part of it, as were countless thundering challenges but the favourites held firm.
Tonga 28 Italy 25
Pool B, Welford Road, Leicester
10 October 1999
Rarely is a game in the World Cup anything less than high-stakes and if these two had nothing other than pride to play for they certainly didn’t show it. To give an example of how far off the standard they were of Pool B pacesetters New Zealand and England, the latter put 101 points over Tonga while the All Blacks clocked a similar figure when dismantling the Italians.
Nonetheless, when they played each other, the game was treated as seriously as if it were the final of the tournament and for the entire 80 minutes the game hung in the balance.Both teams were desperate to avoid the wooden spoon, and it showed as they went at it hammer and tongs for the win.
Diego Dominguez’s last-gasp drop-goal appeared to have secured a draw for Italy – only for Sateki Tu’ipulotu to follow suit from inside his own half.
The final whistle saw unbridled scenes of joy on one side, unlimited despair on the other. The few thousand who witnessed it can say they saw one of the most absorbing games played at World Cup level.
What’s your favourite World Cup game ever?
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Rugby World Cup rwc 15 RWC 2015