RWC Analysis:
England 6 South Africa 15

by Conor O'Shea

You would never have thought that the South African team that arrived in Ireland 11 months ago (beaten 32-15 by Ireland) would go on to be the World champions a year later; back then, less than 12 months before the World Cup, they were a team in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Derided for bringing an under strength squad to the Northern Hemisphere, it was said that South Africa were devaluing the Springbok jersey and international rugby. Who's laughing now?

That tour 12 months ago was successful on two fronts. Firstly it unearthed a precocious talent in the then 19-year-old Francois Steyn, the young man whose penalty kick put the Springboks 15 - 6 up in the final and into an unassailable lead. Secondly Jake White saw what his squad were made of - or not as the case may be. If you look at the Springboks through this tournament, and even before in their struggle against Connacht in one of their warm-up games, you knew what White had gleaned from the escapades of that tour, that is: his squad were not strong but his first choice team could take on anyone.

South Africa: took a risk by using the second string

That didn't stop White from playing his second stringers and giving players a rest - although they nearly lost to Tonga in their pool stage. White appreciated that he had to keep the likes of Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield and Fourie Du Preez fresh but there was always a risk, calculated, but a risk, all the same, that they may lose a game. In the event it didn't happen, it was the squad that won the World Cup but his first XV that won the matches that counted. I wonder will a team ever win the World Cup again without having to beat New Zealand, Australia or France?

The final itself was absorbing. It lacked the free flowing rugby of some of the tournament - even of the third/fourth place play-off the previous evening - and it was disappointing for the neutral that the likes of Briyan Habana, JP Pietersen, Jason Robinson or Paul Sackey didn't get to show their pace. But we were treated to a great display at lineout time by the Boks and Victor Matfeld in particular. It is rare that a second rower makes such a difference but in this match, as in the semi-final, it was Matfield that disrupted the flow of quality possession to England and enabled the Boks to play the territory game so effectively.

England: Cueto's nearly moment

England will point to the try that never was from Mark Cueto. It was tight but it looked like the video ref got it spot on by about a millimetre. They say the difference between winning and losing can be a matter of inches, nothing will better demonstrate that than Cueto's nearly moment.

As for the tournament itself, to me it has been a huge success. The so-called minnows and newer teams have come to the party. Think of how close Georgia came to defeating Ireland, think too of the resurgence of the Pacific Islanders of Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, and think of the brilliance of Argentina in all bar their game against SA in the semi-final. This tournament has been a huge boost to the game because you can see new sides beginning to emerge and the old order set to be challenged for years to come. True, the big guns of the Tri Nations and Six Nations will probably always be favourites, but if they rest on their laurels they will be caught, and there will always be the chance of an upset.

Ireland: can bounce back from RWC 2007

Finally, one last word about Ireland. Yes, the doom and gloom is still there but we'll get over it. The team underperformed but there is enough quality in the squad who will comfortably be around and be at the top of their game in four years time to get through this. The question the players will have to ask themselves is how much do they want it.

We will have retirements but the likes of Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Denis Leamy, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Ronan O'Gara will be flying in four years time, and with the infusion of new blood like Luke Fitzgearld, Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip and others we will be in good shape. For a while, this team are going to have to suffer the ignominy of being written off by all and sundry, but if they need inspiration all they need do is to look at the two finalists from 2007. South Africa and England were both written off but both - South Africa especially - had the last laugh. Roll on 2011.