To get to the final England had relied on their forwards and the boot of Rob Andrew but completely threw that plan out of the window in the final, instead opting for a more open game against Australia. The plan backfired as the Wallabies won courtesy of a solitary converted try. As with the 1987…

The 1995 tournament was seen as the dawning of a new era with post-apartheid South Africa welcomed back into the international sporting frame. The 1995 tournament was their chance to unite a nation and Springbok captain Francois Pienaar and manager Morne du Plessis worked hard to foster the feeling of the “rainbow nation”. Few moments…

The 1999 final was strangely reminiscent of the first, only this time France saw off New Zealand in a thrilling semi-final before being outplayed in the final by Australia. France were let down by their indiscipline in the final, allowing Wallabies full-back Matt Burke a number of kickable opportunities and he made no mistake. France…

England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with a breathtaking Jonny Wilkinson drop goal just 26 seconds from the end of a thrilling final in Sydney. Millions watched around the world as captain Martin Johnson became the first player to lead a northern hemisphere side to the world title. Australia battled hard and were never…

A ruthless South Africa punished England’s ill-discipline for a tight 15-6 win over the defending champions at the Stade de France. Full-back Percy Montgomery kicked four penalties and 20-year-old centre Francois Steyn one to hand the Springboks their second World Cup triumph after their victory on home soil in 1995. Despite holding their own for…

New Zealand were crowned world champions for the first time in 24 years after squeezing past an inspired France team by a single point. Tony Woodcock’s early try and a penalty from fourth-choice fly-half Stephen Donald were enough to see the All Blacks home in an extraordinary match that defied all pre-match predictions. France produced…

Richie McCaw and New Zealand made history as the first nation to claim back-to-back World Cups but they had to do it the hard way against Australia in an epic final. The All Blacks raced into a 21-3 lead with tries from Nehe Milner-Skudder and Ma’a Nonu but they then had to hold off a…