KEY POINTS:
PARIS - Set-piece dominance, a strong presence in broken play, a reliable goal-kicker and perhaps most notably field kicking for territorial advantage emerged as the components essential for winning the rugby union World Cup.
South Africa won the 20-nation event, beating defending champions England 15-6 in the final at the Stade de France here on Saturday.
But the game of no tries but seven penalties exemplified a tournament in which flair and lethal attack were firmly put on the backburner at the expense of a pragmatic approach of playing for territory and capitalising on opponents' mistakes, at least in the knock-out phase.
The modern-day game of rugby union showed itself to be one played at a furious pace and with an ever-increasing physical intensity.
Physicality and pressure were telling signs of a team's dominance, shown through gameplans focusing on breaking the gainline, phase play, organised pod play and kicking to maximise field position.
The up-and-under made a comeback with a vengeance, but the kicking game is only as good as the accuracy of the punt and the chasing game.
Kickers aimed not for touch, but down the tramlines, as teams obsessed with yardage and were content to engage in aerial ping-pong until someone made a handling error or kicked into touch, handing them the throw-in.
For teams like South Africa and England, with proven lock combinations of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, and Simon Shaw and Ben Kay respectively, that was their bread-and-butter.
It was certainly naive to think more creative, expansive teams whose gameplan flourished on natural flair and a non-contact approach, could win matches that counted.
Strong forward platforms and experience to close down games: the World Cup was fertile ground for experienced teams like South Africa and England.
Both teams had massive forward packs offering a physicality which transfered into solid defence and a presence in broken play that offered up the chance of turnovers during a match, as well as an ability to soak up pressure when required.
New Zealand, winners of the inaugural World Cup in 1987, were favourites to win the 20-team tournament this time around but crashed out 20-18 to hosts France in the quarter-final.
They were also favourites in at least two World Cups since they won the Webb Ellis trophy, but were again undone by a combination of factors.
The All Blacks arrived in France with what seemed a balanced mix between speed, creativity and innovation, and physical hardness and raw aggression, alongside a mastery of both the basics and technical skills.
In outside-half Dan Carter and openside flanker Richie McCaw, they possessed two of the world's finest players, game-breakers in their own right.
But the beauty of rugby is that they are reliant on their team-mates if they are to reproduce the goods on rugby union's ultimate world stage, and under the French siege-gun kicking gameplan, they fell apart.
England coach Brian Ashton, speaking before the World Cup, was adamant that a steady forward base was the way forward.
"We've got to have a forward foundation to start with. I've never wavered from that all the way through my coaching career," he said.
"At international level without that you're playing on the back foot all the time. You might get away with it against some sides but against most teams you'll get beaten."
Ashton added, however, that while a big pack of forwards who will dominate possession and territory is needed, a team must also be able to up the "tempo and dynamism of the game" as well as offer "efficient execution when you get the opportunities and a strong defence".
Another indispensable factor for a World Cup and Test match-winning team is a kicker who can be trusted to nail 70 per cent or more of his kicks at goal. Keep kicking the penalties in a close match and it will tell.
Full-back Percy Montgomery proved to be South Africa's star with the boot, finishing as the World Cup's top points scorer with 105 from two tries, 22 conversions and 17 penalties in the six out of seven games he played.
His success rate was approaching 80 per cent.
Twenty-three nations have taken part in the Rugby World Cup so far, and out of the six tournaments that have now been held, all but one have been won by a southern hemisphere nation.
After the All Blacks in 1987, Australia won in 1991, South Africa in 1995 and then Australia again in 1999. The southern hemisphere dominance was broken at in 2003 when England beat Australia in the final, but it is now back in Springbok hands.
- AFP
