David Kirk: England hard act to follow

COMMENT

England are worthy winners of the Webb Ellis Cup.

Criticism that they were not the best side in the world but the hardest team to beat is unfounded.

England have the best scrum, a lineout that is as good as any, the best goal kicker, the best tactical kicker, the best coach and the most accurate and consistent game-plan.

They are not the best at everything, but they are the best at what really matters. We should salute them and learn from them.

Australia made it very hard for England to get their hands on the silverware. Time and again the Wallabies refused to lie down. And slowly, but it seemed inexorably, the Wallabies came back in the second half.

Twice they stepped back from the brink. With a minute to go in regular time and again in extra time, Elton Flatley brought them level and earned the right to fight on.

We should salute a gallant Wallaby team and learn from them.

On the evidence of the final there is a considerable gap between the top two in the world and the rest.

France, South Africa or New Zealand are capable of beating England or Australia on their day, but when it really matters, on the biggest occasions, they cannot live with the top two.

The second-tier three have players that are pretty much as good as the best from England and Australia, but are miles short of the reserves of concentration, courage and determination that are needed to be world champions.

Much will be talked and written about the missing ingredients in New Zealand rugby in the weeks ahead. For now, it is only important to acknowledge that the problems are deep-seated, they are not to do with physical ability and unless they are addressed, they will consign New Zealand to the second tier of world rugby forever.

Many people will look to the genius of Jonny Wilkinson as the difference between the two teams on Saturday night.

Certainly, he kicked the goals that counted, tackled and marshalled attack and defence splendidly and, at the last, drop-kicked his team to the title, but - as ever - the match was won up front.

And up front England had the best leader and, mentally, the strongest man in the tournament - Martin Johnson.

Johnson's leadership is of the old-fashioned sort. He leads from the front and demands that his troops follow.

When the opposition shoots for goal he strides around his troops, bristling with defiance and energy.

His body language says: it doesn't matter if they kick this goal or not, it doesn't matter what the score is, we will win this match, we will be world champions.

The England side are a muscular, intense, driven team. In Johnson they have a leader who is the personal embodiment of all of those attributes.

So England are the big winners on the field in this tournament. They have dominated world rugby for the past three years and it is fitting they should be crowned world champions.

But off the field, the big winners are Australia. In a few weeks, the Australian Rugby Union will bank, net of all costs and expenses, a cheque for between A$45 million and A$48 million.

Australian rugby officials already have big plans for the money. Much will, of course, remain as reserves.

The tournament will not be back in Australia for 20 years and reserves will be needed to flatten out the peaks and troughs in future earnings.

But that will leave a big chunk to spend on developing the game. New competitions, junior development and targeted player acquisition will all be a part of the plan.

Perhaps the most lasting legacy of this World Cup will be the boost it has given to Australian rugby for the future.

We need to understand that in New Zealand and we need to respond.

If we thought this World Cup was hard to win, we ain't seen nothing yet.

Full World Cup coverage