Britain's Prince Harry and World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset chat during the opening ceremony. Photo / AP
Editorial
At the end of the pool phase of the Rugby World Cup the chairman of World Rugby, Bernard Lapasset, claimed it was the most competitive in the cup's history. It is hard to disagree. The pool phase tends to be quickly forgotten once the knock-out rounds begin but the round
robin play is the important phase of the wider promotion of the game.
If this was the most competitive ever, it owes much to Japan, whose defeat of the Springboks reminded all teams that anything is possible in sport. But it owes just as much to the "pool of death" that provided an edge from the beginning and ultimately denied England a place in the finals.
The host nation's failure on the field is a sharp contrast to the excellence of the event it has produced. The television production of the matches has been unfailingly splendid, helped by an unexpectedly fine and settled late autumn in England. The rugby looked attractive on screen, even the rolling mauls.
Referees were clearly under instruction to police breakdowns strictly and tolerate no head-high or spear tackles.
The teams, England excepted, responded well, proving rugby can be a fast, flowing game when its rules are respected. The referees had more help from video replays than many fans might have wished but the ability to check what has happened is hard to resist, and often proves interesting.
