Monday, October 22, 2007
Springboks crowned World Champions 2007
In a game that was dominated by penalties, top points scorer of the world cup Percy Montgomery slotted four out of four, with young Francois Steyn successful at his second attempt from just inside the half way line.
Wilkinson didn't have as big an impact as it was talked up to be for England, only getting two kicks over and missing two drops.
The Boks dominated the lineout early on which put pressure on the English, although they came back well in that department. In the other set piece phase of the game, the scrum, England commanded the Boks' respect as they really put the heat on.
CJ van der Linde and the Boks soon rectified the situation though and competed well throughout the game against the powerful English front row.
English center Matthew Tait had a few great runs, one of which saw Victor Matfield making a try saving tackle just meters short. The ball was quickly recycled though and spun out wide to Mark Cueto who dived over the line under the close attention of big Danie Roussouw for what looked like a try.
Replay after replay were shown to TMO Stuart Dickinson, and after looking at it one last time in super slow mo, it was clear that the tip of Cueto's boot had scraped the white line, therefore ruling out the try.
It will no doubt be an incident that will be talked about for years to come. If you're English, you'll say it was a try. If you're South African or neutral, his foot scraped the line and it wasn't a try. To harp on about it would be foolish, as nothing will change it now.
It certainly wasn't a bad decision as the video footage is there for all to see. It was extremely close and could have gone either way. The majority of people will agree that it is fair to say that the line was touched.
I'll get the clip up here soon for you guys to discuss, dissect, and scrutinize.
The reality is that the team of the tournament won on the day. The Springboks were a lot of people's favourites from day one, and looked determined to complete their four year plan under coach Jake White. And they did just that. The didn't lose a game in the tournament and on the team have the top try scorer of the tournament and the top points scorer.
Bryan Habana was also last night handed the prestigious IRB Player of the Year award.
England on the other hand put up a tremendous fight and halfway through the World Cup nobody would have believed they'd be there. Hats off to Phil Vickery and the boys. Slated by their press, they came back well and for that deserve to be applauded, respected and commended. True guts and self belief will get you very far in life, and in this case, in rugby.
To South Africa and the Springboks, we've waited long for this and the scenes of nationwide unity on Saturday night around the country brought a tear to my eye. For a country torn apart by racial divide in the past, we came together as one to celebrate the greatest victory of them all. Congratulations to the new World Champions.
Final Score: 15 - 6 to South Africa
So Far Away -
Stained
The tournament is over, but we'll continue to post great World Cup footage from all teams, including Tries of the Tournament, funny incidents, and other video compilations. Currie Cup, Air New Zealand Cup, the Guiness Premiership, Magners League and French League's footage will all be covered in the upcoming months also, as well as other classic clips from around the world.
Posted at 8:21 am | 119 comments
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Viewing 119 comments
Francesco-Alessio October 22, 2007 8:20 am
Let's get the ball rolling!At the end of the day, if the try were to be allowed, it would have been 5/7 points instead of 3, hence 10-15 instead of 6-15. Aside the the ifs and buts, the Springboks had the edge, and deserved to win if even by a point. I was also moved by seeing the players with president Mbeki (sp?), ;)Nevertheless, the roses deserve some serious respect. Their rugby may be ugly, but their sheer amount of determination and focus provides an example for anyone, I think. Hats off to both teams!Fran
Anonymous October 22, 2007 8:25 am
Franagree, hats off to both teams, Boks deserve win it, England deserved to be in final.What an epic it turned out to be, what a result, both teams have plenty to be proud of.Well done Bokke, you were the better team for the day.The game was certainly not brought into disrepute, and the decision was fair. (BTW, I'm an England supporter)Thanks for some beautiful rugby.Martin
Anonymous October 22, 2007 9:02 am
i agree they deserved to winbut it was a tryand we played the more exciting rugbyperiod.
Stephen in I'bul October 22, 2007 9:05 am
No try - no complaints - could have gone either way - can be argued that it is turf that comes loose that touches the line - but could go either way.I have some other questions about the referee - esp. regarding crossing / obsruction. 1) the last and crucial penalty he gave - what was that for, he said for crossing but I couldn't see where or how. 2) Early on in the game - an English maul going forward - the back player broke away and he gave a penalty for obstruction. Under that interpretation no-one can ever break away from a maul.3) The second last penalty - referee calls a ruck, English player takes hands out of the ruck - the ball was there for the SA's to use - SA players ask for a penalty and he gives it. 15 minutes later identical situation at the other end - no penalty.Don't get me wrong - I think SA are worthy world champions - but I was really proud of the England team. I thought they played the more positive rugby and ultimately it was there failure to secure good line-out ball that cost us.Suggested rule change: - can't pass / carry the ball back into the 22 and still be able to clear on the full. I'm sure it will have been suggested before but it would help limit the territory ping-pong and play for penalties that England did well against Australia and France and then SA did to us!
Rugbydump October 22, 2007 9:32 am
The one bit of consistency the refs have shown throughout the tournament is how poor they've been. Can't think of many games where everyone was completely happy with the ref. Needs to be looked at.That said, the best players in the game also make mistakes occasionally. The refs are also human and will get it wrong at times unfortunately. That human factor will always be there.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 10:09 am
If England had won, would they have but their Prime Minister on their shoulders like SA did?No, but it would have been funny. (and they'd probably drop him cos he's Scottish!)
Anonymous October 22, 2007 10:45 am
it was no try. maybe true that england deserved to be in the final but they did played boring rugby.the final was boring; england had no flare in the their backs.i would of been so pissed if england won coz they are cocky when it comes to winning things. nough said.well done bokkes!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 11:01 am
Great final indeed.The best team won.England must be gutted for a (well) disallowed by the skin of the teeth.England deserve all the credit for a brave performance, and have made all the pundits swallow their words.I just wish the final could be a bit more spectacular, but with these 2 teams, it would be hard to have a try-packed final.The consolation final was indeed a great match. Argentina severely punishing France for every mistake they made.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 12:23 pm
well done to SA but even the SA have to admit that cueto try was a try, it probably wouldn't have affected the result. well done boks but you have to accept that England played out of their skins on the night compared to what looked like a tired springbok side. well done anyway!
Larry Butchins. Kfar October 22, 2007 12:33 pm
We watched the game broadcast live in Israel with HEBREW commentary - it was actually very good and we were amazed at how knowleadgable the commentators were, seeing as Rugby is hardly Israel's national sport! (...although it's quite active here). There were also a number of pubs here showing it live on huge screens - Testimony, I guess, to how popular the game has become and the importance accorded to the World Cup. Maybe we'll start getting the Super 14's here (!) I thought it was a hard-fought game with both sides pretty evenly matched - just a pity there wasn't more excitement from some good running play. Victor Matfield was amazing and Pretty Percy certainly didn't put a foot wrong...As an ex-"Drommie" (as we are called here - Drom Afrika meaning South Africa), I was very moved to see how the players embraced Pres. Mbeki and hoisted him as if he was part of the team, which I guess he was in a way.Great stuff...Larry B
Andy October 22, 2007 12:41 pm
It wasn't a try. His big toe touched the line. Very unlucky as if he'd had ten more attempts he prob would have scored them all, it was unlucky the way he fell. Great tackle on Tait forget Habana, Matfield what a player!! I do however think Burgers professional foul in slowing the ball (which you could say saved the try)was not dealt with properly. I think a yellow card or penalty try should've been given. SA played disciplined, intelligent kicking rugby. They tried to fling the ball around for ten minutes in the first half and all that happened is that they got smashed and ended up knocking on or losing the ball in rucks (much the same as Aus and France found out). As a result they kicked cleverly and waited for us to make mistakes or for morons like Moody to trip people. I didn't find it boring at all but i understand rugby snd that was how you win a final. Hope you Safa's enjoyed the win and all i can say is that atleast it wasn't a last minute drop goal in extra time as that would've hurt alot more.Tait is going to be our next hero!!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 12:43 pm
I think the fact Englands rugby was "ugly" as some people put it, is absurd. It's not meant to be pretty, players want to win, at the end of the day they would play if there was a crowd of 50,000 or 50 makes no odds, a win is a win whether its through hard forward work or pretty boys like Percy.Well done to the Boks definately did deserve the victory, the try (in my opinion) was not a try, i reckon his foot touched the line...(as an englishman it pains me to say that) buuut rugby is rugby.Also to the guy saying if the try was given they would still have lost, no one knows that, im sure anyone who has played the game will know how uplifting a try can be.....we shall never know, just keep the cup safe and shiny, we are only lending it to you for a few years!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 1:22 pm
Francois Steyn and Matfield completely dominated the game. Amazing performance by the two!Particulary pretty boy Steyn. 20 years old, but with the guts to try those massive 50 meter kicks.And when he had the ball in hand, RSA would gain at least 15 meters in the field.What a great player!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 1:49 pm
It clearly wasn't a try. It's apparent in the compilation and even more so in the picture that shows his foot, not just on the line, but over it. Besides which the last 40 minutes was just SA playing for position and containing just like they'd hinted at when they said it wasn't a time for heroes. The best team won. End of. PS It was sad to see Robinson limp off with a whisper.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 1:58 pm
AndyBurger's proffesional foul was pretty much as pro as England spoiling for the boks on their tryline, which also deserved a yellow after being warned.It was a final, and yellow's flying around would have spoiled the game, that's why Moody wasn't yellowed and nor was Flood for shoving Monty over the billboard.Fortunately there were no yellows given for any of the teams, and it ended up being a good honest hard game of rugga.England put their bodies on the line, and played a great game, as did the boks.The game was won by the better on the day.Welshbok
Inho October 22, 2007 2:50 pm
No try....the foot touch the line....congratulations to springboks!!!!p.s. is possible to download the video from rugbydump.com or from myspacetv.com?
Kirk October 22, 2007 2:51 pm
I just want to say to all the souties that the trie was not a try, and its clear for all to see. Go Bokke.
elrolo October 22, 2007 2:53 pm
1st thing i bet for england 2 win at 50-1 odds (b4 the Australia game) so i was even more fuming when the try was disallowed. From the angles given to the TMO it was a try as it looked above the line.But i accept it wasnt a try.Otherwise the ref seemed to give strange penalties, but thats just the roll of the dice?The better team won, but it could have been much closer.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 3:34 pm
hey guysssssssss dontebe stupids IT WAS A TRY!!!!!! AND HERE IS THE PHOTO IF YOU HAVE SOME DOUBT :http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/apphoto/photo?sportId=300&photoId=1715788HE NEVER TOUCH THE LINE BECAUSE IS LEG WAS UP............!!so i wanted to springboks like champions but i it wasnt fair dudes......
Anonymous October 22, 2007 3:36 pm
SORRY HERE IS THE PHOTO..http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/apphoto/photo?sportId=300&photoId=1715788
James October 22, 2007 3:49 pm
His foot had already touched the line before that photo was taken.It was not a try FACT.England played well on the day, but as a tournament SA deserved to win it.Well done to them.
Inho October 22, 2007 4:06 pm
his foot becames up after have touched the line...so it's no try
Anonymous October 22, 2007 4:43 pm
Oh Boo Hoo Hoo all of you!His foot was in touch, get used to it, you lost because you weren't good enoughhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7052822.stmScroll down to the bottom of the page, and take a good long look at that photo, and then stop crying FFS!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 4:47 pm
Sorry, here is the right linkhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7052822.stm
Matt October 22, 2007 5:10 pm
This image is pretty good for showing the foot on the line.. :)
Anonymous October 22, 2007 5:11 pm
south africa definitely deserved to win i like them because they dont boast like the all blacks,theyve won all of their games and they have the best players in the world.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 5:12 pm
I think argentina should have been in the final they are definitely the second best team
Hendrick October 22, 2007 5:15 pm
I glad the Boks won instead of England So all the england supporters can shut the hell up. If wasn't for you amazing kicker you wouldn't have made it that far. They really need to work on scoring tries England. But hats of the both teams. Good finally game, and good comeback for England to the finally.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 5:20 pm
I blame Brian Ashton. He should have amputated Cueto's left foot at half time and then it would have been a try!!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 5:23 pm
i thought that south africa were going to win since the first match thay played. im glad new zealand didnt win;theyre so full of themselves
Anonymous October 22, 2007 5:48 pm
Cheers to the new champs...By the way... nice diving on the camera hahahaAnd nice tackles from habana on saki quite q winger showdown...
Anonymous October 22, 2007 6:53 pm
Why is someone commenting on flood pushing percy, he didnt get a yellow cos it was a final, he didnt get a yellow cos the ref didnt even warrant it.....did you watch the game dumbass....if you are going by what your saying the ref would have at least given a penalty.....so how about you think before you speak!!! Go boks!!!
Anonymous October 22, 2007 7:05 pm
Well done SA one thing I have to say was that didn't Sackey make his prescence felt on Habana so much that habana didn't want the ball and they have to conceed that it was a try SA would still have one but it was a try.Mr Contreversial
Gerhard October 22, 2007 7:46 pm
Absolutely brilliant clip for the team of the tournament.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 7:51 pm
ok. well congrats to the boks (im english). Ive got a South African friend so i will prob never hear the end of it but to b fair they deserved to win the match nd the tournament. They played the better rugby and didnt lose. People keep going on how england play ugly rugby and need to practise scoring tries but SA didnt score in the final so i say stuff that. The centres in both sides (mainly steyn and a bit of Taite) made some good breaks and set the game alite. Steyn is pretty awsome. The defence on both sides was solid. There were some incredible hits by both side. I don't care what anyone says about wilkinson. He has got to be one of the wolrds best defensive fly halfs in the world. Habana is a failry immense winger aswell tho. Not just fast but a genuine good rugby player. England should be proud of themselves for even getting to the final and i think they have a good chance in the 6 nations. Congrats again to the bokkes.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 9:04 pm
South Africa have earned this victory after dominating the super 14. Even an AB supporter could see the quality of this team. I am glad England lost as they had only luck bring them into the final. once again the final was not the two best teams in the rcw this happens all the the time a (b)class team making the final.
Anonymous October 22, 2007 9:07 pm
Great video RD, thank you!!!! Matched and surpassed the quality of the world cup itself i think. Cant wait for the next one!!PS is there any way to save the myspace videos?
Anonymous October 22, 2007 11:09 pm
What is the song that you used for this montage?
Anonymous October 22, 2007 11:46 pm
"I glad the Boks won instead of England So all the england supporters can shut the hell up. If wasn't for you amazing kicker you wouldn't have made it that far. They really need to work on scoring tries England. But hats of the both teams. Good finally game, and good comeback for England to the finally."Wow.You fail to recognize the hard work by English forwards?
Anonymous October 23, 2007 1:30 am
come off it, it is really pathetic. It was not a try. His left foot touched the line before he got the ball down. There is no question about it. You are just being pathetis saying that it was a try. England were unlucky not to get the try becasue it was so close, but it still was not a try, his foot touched the line. End of story.
Anonymous October 23, 2007 1:47 am
Really nice vid, well done rugbydump, and well done Springboks :D
G-unit. October 23, 2007 2:20 am
Congratulations England worthy Finalists!!! Proving everyone wrong and winning the games that mattered...Congratulations SA! Worthy Champions!! Winning Every Game! Player of the Tournament Bryan Habana and Highest Point Scorer, Monty, and the best Captain by far John Smit! Jake White for the All Blacks job...
Anonymous October 23, 2007 6:34 am
wish the finals had more running rugby instead of so much kicking..
Eoghan October 23, 2007 7:15 am
John Smit looked like he barred up when he was about to be presented with the trophy. wouldn't you?Very well spoken man, and a team that thoroughly deserved to be there. The english played a boring and predictable game, and JW went for the DG in the final 10 mins when a try was nessicary, so I think that rugby benafited by not letting the team that rode on its one boot become the winners.
Stephen in I'bul October 23, 2007 7:39 am
The controversial refereeing decision that affected the game most was not the disallowed try - but the last SA penalty. This took SA 9 points clear which changed England's tactics and made them look for tries instead of taking the points and made Wilkinson attempt daft drop goals from 40 m out.Please someone justify that decision. It is the most non-sensical decision I think I've ever seen. (Closely followed by the penalty given again for 'crossing' in the 1st half for a player breaking away with the ball from the back of the maul). How do you expect teams to play running rugby when can be penalised by a ref with seemingly little appreciation for rugby.I know the refereeing has been quite poor - but the others have been a missed forward pass here or a missed knock on - human error - that happens. But these fundamentally flawed decisions worry me.
Stephen in I'bul October 23, 2007 7:48 am
And those of you who are complaining about Flood's push on pretty boy - welcome to rugby, it's a contact sport. Pretty boy was trying to usher the ball out of play footy style. The ball came off pretty boy's head so the ref gave the only thing it definitely wasn't - a 22 drop out. Should either be a pen or 5 m scrum! - BUT yellow card - really??????The only possible yellow card was in the build up to the "try" - blatant, pre-meditated, intentional hands in the ruck to prevent quick ball from England. I would prefer to see a penalty try given for deliberate foul play committed in order to prevent a try. And as it turned out - foul play was rewarded - there was no try amd if England had been allowed to get the ball out to Cuetto a couple of seconds earlier the covering tackle would have not been so close to the touchline and there would be none replay after replay nonsense.
Anonymous October 23, 2007 8:12 am
Stephen in i'bulWhat about England spoiling in the red zone when the Boks were trying to score their try. He warned them that next time he would be sending off. Next time came, but nobody got sent, and the boks also only got their 3 instead of the try. How would you suggest that compares to Burger slowing down the ball?Earlier in the tournament Vickery got sin binned, and cited for exactly the same offense as Moody...pre meditated and intentional tripping, which is plain synical and cowardly in the game of rugby!! Need we say any more about yellows?Not even to mention Flood, who also intentionally shoved "pretty boy" (pretty proffesional) over the billboard, which was also nothing other than synical play. England lost the game, take it on the chin, you didn't deserve to win.Hannes.
Andy October 23, 2007 8:16 am
'I am glad England lost as they had only luck bring them into the final'Dear Anonymous who wrote this,you don't beat the Aussies and hosts France in world cup quarter and semi finals through Luck. Give a little credit, look at all the english comments on here congratulating SA.
Anonymous October 23, 2007 8:22 am
Hannes, relax, you won. I heard of bad losers, but bad winners?I think 99.99% of all England fans accept that the better time won and we were just happy to do well to get to the final.Have a Steinlager and chill, safe in the knowledge that only you and Australia have won twice!
Rugbydump October 23, 2007 8:46 am
I think you'll find it's a Castle that Hannes will be having, not a Steinlager. :P
Anonymous October 23, 2007 9:13 am
OK, I'm chilling!!Windhoek lager for me thanks!!Hannes
Anonymous October 23, 2007 9:48 am
Amazing video. Please can you maybe give us a direct link to this one? It is one to keep and would love to show it to everybody. Pretty please.
Anonymous October 23, 2007 11:01 am
Well done SA couldnt deal with the hype that was after 2003, they didnt shut up about it for atleast 2 years later. England = Nothing without Wilko!
Anonymous October 23, 2007 11:11 am
I'm glad England (we) didn't win. Didn't fancy more people jumping on the band wagon like in 2003 and prices going up and having non-rugby supporters taking our seats at Twickers.
smoochie October 23, 2007 12:00 pm
what was with Thabo Mbeki getting up on the podium like that in front of French President Sarkozy??I suspect he was trying to emulate Nelson Mandela's presentation of the cup in 1995, which was important as a symbol for south african culture as whole
Anonymous October 23, 2007 12:49 pm
Why is everyone slating Wilkinson?!? we had awesome forwards, we dominated the aussie pack. so do you mind? pretty much all the english guys are saying the better team won. and so what....english rugby is kept in the forwards, forwards do the hard graft work. so what if we dont play your hair rugby....with lots of great back play....at the end of the day you guys won, congrats you were the better team....now maybe you can accept that your rivals (the team you previously beat 30 something - nil) were actually good opponants.....or would you rather we had lost to australia and you guys could have lost the cup to them!?
joe October 23, 2007 12:59 pm
Firstly, SA deserved the win and were not only the best team on the day, but the best team throughout the tournament. I want to give a huge thumbs up to Paul Sackey because despite not being involved much in the final he was at least doing his job. Bryan Habana is one of, if not the best wingers in the world (proven by his IRB plyer of the year award). He had already scored a record equalling amount of tries this world cup yet in the final, apart from a big tackle on Sackey, he was nowhere. Im not saying he played badly just that we must give great credit to Sackey as he has marked his opponent (a better player) brilliantly.Well done SA
Francesco-Alessio October 23, 2007 1:41 pm
I have seen again the Cueto video and - damn, it doesn't look out to me, now. Whatever it is, I respect the referee's decision, but I find it less obvious than I thought at first...I'd like to muse a bit: England could actually have a pretty lethal game if they could exploit more the chip kicks, or in general add some league-like approach to the backs game. The tries with kicks (sir Johnny with...Moody?) during the Tonga match and Lewsey bulldozing Traille are a good example of smart rugby, I think.Certainly the backwater pundits from where I write (Oz) would still hate the "damn poms" (it's still the 19th century for some...) and hallucinate about "10-men rugby", but England could effectively become (again) a lethal team. Gimme hardcore scrums and people piercing through tight spaces and bulldozing defenders any time of the day, I am actually NH-born so... ;)
Just a fan October 23, 2007 2:26 pm
Joe - I suggest you watch the game again to see the huge amount of work that Habana put it. After the tfirst two tackles on him Sackey wimpered like a puppy - I should imgaine he got a good talking too at half time - because it was only in the 2nd half that he decided to contriubute to his teams loss. JP and Habana might not have scored tries - but did you see how much they protected Percy once he got his knee bandaged (after that cynical push...)Have to say that England did well to get where they were - but it definitely wasnt through rugby - rather through dirty tricks.
Just a fan October 23, 2007 2:39 pm
Sorry about the typos....boss came back and didnt have time to proof ;)
Ryan October 23, 2007 3:04 pm
SA deserved the win regardless. The form they showed all tournament was unrivaled. If they had faced a composite team of all the best players, they still would have come out on top (even though it breaks my all black loving heart). Credit to england though, for making it to the final and staying competitive while everyone wrote them off as granddad's army and members of the early exit club.
scrumy October 23, 2007 3:06 pm
@just a fanjust dirty tricks? what kind off, you wanker!!!England just played hard rugby with ther pack! Stupid talking about Tricks!!!Long live the RED ROSE OF LANCASTER!!
Congrats RSA! October 23, 2007 3:25 pm
LMAO at just a fan, dunno what game you were watching actually, and i dont know what you were reading Joe didnt actually say he played badly i guess he merely meant that he didnt show up as much as he did in previous games, and obviously Sackey and the rest of the team didnt give him much room. As for the push so what? he would have actually just crashed into him otherwise, any other player would do the same, the ref didnt care obviously so let it go. i have let the try go!oh and how did england get to the finals through dirty tricks?!? i mean i guess they must have cheated through the whole of the world cup. none of those players can play better than you can they?...(he is a Crim thats upset cos they couldnt make it to the semi's!) and if you're a South African then im sorry but your team aren't exactly angels themselves...high tackles..crossing..blocking......IT HAPPENS IN A GAME SO SHUT UP AND ENJOY THE FUCKING GAME. RSA WON!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM THEY WERE THE BETTER TEAM, dont get too resentful the Crims/Frogs/Southern Hemisphere Lions couldnt get into the finals!
Joe October 23, 2007 6:14 pm
Just a fan, good point made about the protection of Percy, it shows that despite being known as a 'pretty boy' he has the guts to play through the pain in a World Cup final and kick his team to victory. Good work Perce.Also, Francesco-Alessio, I think that you could be right in some ways. In my opinion, I'd be worried about what people like Latham would do if given the opportunity to go past people from a bad kick. Despite that, I think that we could encorporate it more definitely. It would be great to see Wilkinson repeat his chip over the All Blacks defence to score 2011's world cup winning try! lol.
Anonymous October 23, 2007 6:59 pm
Reference the Cueto non-try. Very simple:1. Throughout the video replays you can see very clearly divots being thrown about, that is his boot snags the turf very hard:Here is one of many shots of thathttp://tinyurl.com/2znvng2. The above camera view shows equally as clearly the touch line where this took place. That is a now broken up touch line as the below illustrates:http://tinyurl.com/2ymc663. Below is a close up of that spot. Once again crystal clear, his fit dug into the ground, into the touch line and across it. No mistaking that:http://tinyurl.com/yw848sFeel free to post this up if you wish, or capture your own, the video is quite clear about all of this.
pigvommit October 23, 2007 7:32 pm
This image clearly shows his foot was in touch.http://bp0.blogger.com/_Z0GMBaSoOOM/RxxBpPbqRDI/AAAAAAAAAjY/CchMQHkkKbA/s400/boks-win.jpgFeel free to try and dispute that.
Joe October 23, 2007 8:49 pm
Another thought, because of the 'was it a try' debate, Cueto's name is getting all the airtime. We should be discussing other things and although it is a major talking point it has already become a stale argument. I'd have more fun in talking about the future of both sides. Will Engalnd rebuild and become a 'good' side again?(by this I mean consistency and maybe a six nations win)Or will Os Du Randt come out of retirement again next World Cup?Will Matthew Tait become Englands next Full-Back?
Cheese van Tonder October 23, 2007 10:11 pm
Right this is getting rediculous:It wasnt a try. Please see rule book and video evidence.I really dont think Sackey is worth wetting myself about.I think its fair to say that SA deserved to win the final.Take it on the chin, say congrats and move on. 2011 is the next one, Kiwis will be at home for that- maybe they can win it.
Cheese van Tonder October 23, 2007 10:14 pm
PSThe Argie and SA vids are amazing can someone pls tell me the name of the song for the SA vid??Thanks rugger fans and rugbydumpPPS have u seen the new rules coming out - penalties for foul play only - the rest are free kicks = more running rugby !
Anonymous October 24, 2007 12:20 am
No try.If you know your rugby at all, that is...Boys, if any part of your body touches the line, you are out. If you come back in play after that, you are still out. There is no disputing the fact that Cueto's left boot touched the line, and only then came up of the ground. Therefore... no try. Seriously guys, this doesn't even compare to the NZ incident, as this is clear cut.... no try. NZ were hard done by the decision, but not England... no try. Hats off to Vickery, but Cueto's reaction was poor sportsmanship personified. Even Will Greenwood and Martin Johnson said.... "No try". Come on guys!!! Just Face It!Boks once again outplayed, out thought and out scored the English.Congrats to the Boks.(By the way, this not an arrogant Saffer rambling on, rather a rugby fan tired of listening to the English saying it was a try and they should have won).
Anonymous October 24, 2007 3:53 am
SA didnt outplay England, SA didnt put all their potential out there, England, perhaps showed a bit more
Rugbydump October 24, 2007 6:48 am
Guys, I've added a download link for the Bok Tribute file. You'll find it directly below the name of the song, which is below the video. Enjoy, and plz report any problems.
Tom October 24, 2007 7:36 am
I wish everybody will stop complaining about the "disallowed try" thats how rugby goes sometimes, its not always fair, and he was out anyways AND it wouldnt of made a difference to the final score line.Boks deserved it, they were gonna win from the beginning, and once Aus and NZ got knocked out it they should of been engraving the cup.Gah, i hope Australia does better next time!
Anonymous October 24, 2007 7:59 am
Best team in the tournement won! Best team on the night lost!
Andy October 24, 2007 8:13 am
Can someone please show me where someone on here has said it WAS a try because i seem to keep missing it.All you safas are getting arsey for no reason. You seem to just want an argument even though you just won the world cup. You should be happy not trying to pick petty arguments with the losing side, that's not what rugby teaches you.
Anonymous October 24, 2007 8:34 am
i sport england, and it wasn't a try, coz his toe was touchin the line, but well done england and south africa, if england hadn't commited so many fouls it would be a closer game,but great performece from both sides, (sigh) another 4 years to see another final and long time to wait
Anonymous October 24, 2007 9:00 am
did the boks beat anyone of any real calibre to win this world cup? nope
Anonymous October 24, 2007 10:15 am
screw you buddy. Did any team actually put up any "caliber" performances except Eng and South Africa? Nope. Stop whining you F*cking Aussie
Anonymous October 24, 2007 10:22 am
Geez, surely rugby fans are not sinking to the level of the roundball hooligans?I'm a proud Bok supporter, and I believe we deserved to win, though we never really played to our potential.With regard to England, I really think people need to give them more credit - they lifted themselves from the utter doldrums, having been written off by everyone, and despite their limited game-plan, they won the games that counted, even though it wasn't pretty.If you want pretty, watch 7's rugby. if you want Test rugby, then you could do worse then watch England.Well done to both teams!
Francesco-Alessio October 24, 2007 11:14 am
x joe: Yeah, I don't think it would be a 100% safe system of playing, but it would allow for more options into England's "game-system". Of course, tailoring the game style test per test would be another requirement. In general, I had the sensation that England could effectively have a "running game" that could at once be quite lethal and also entertaining, unless you're Zavos/Kirk/Campo...At the end of the day I am fine with the current state of NH rugby, albeit I'd also like less kicking. Rugby is a "vs." game and in vs. games you are supposed to exploit your adversary's errors, which among other things includes a good defense. The layman could get bored by endless resets in the scrums, but then, avoid fat incompetents in the scrum, no?I have this bizarre belief that a more fluid scrummaging coupled with smart running actions and tactic drops would win a few more spectators than the league fan in need of action after the end of NRL 's season. My partner is chinese (she never saw rugby before coming here 1 year ago) and with very little tutoring she can actually appreciate 16 big men pushing each other or "delicacies" like Wales doing a ruck-based try (or was it a maul...?)IRB should spend more energies into introducing the game to the masses (but I appreciate the ELV system so far), so the laymen can appreciate the elegance of the gameplay. A little "education" can make miracles sometimes ;)- Fran
Anonymous October 24, 2007 1:27 pm
ugly ugly ugly, if thats how rugby finals will be played from now on, i would rather watch soccer, yuk and i hate soccer. i would much rather have watched the rerun of Ireland vs Georgia or Canada vs Japan instead of this final, extremely disapointed, south africa won but at what cost?
Anonymous October 24, 2007 1:48 pm
The cost of rugby losing you as a supporter?Methinks they won't be losing sleep over that. Enjoy the soccer mate.
Anonymous October 24, 2007 1:53 pm
rugby union, is changing slowly to league, which is good, it would be cool to mix both codes and have 1 rugby
Ant October 24, 2007 2:11 pm
Rugby union will never change to league......i think the english team should get more credit than the RSA supporters are giving them. at the end of the day they came into the game after a 39?!?-0 loss earlier in the tournament.they had been written off.Nick Easter (i think it was) put it very well after beating the Aussies he said something along the lines of "I'd like to thank the media from the heart of my bottom!" they were written off and came back to play their kind of rugby, hard forward working rugby. Southern hemisphere tend to play a lot of 7's style rugby, English rugby tends to be "run into the wall as hard as you can and eventually you will break through....or break someone..." so what, if you dont like their style dont ever watch their games.also if you dont like their style then you know fuck all about forward play and you are either a bandwagon supporter or a fullback!
Anonymous October 24, 2007 8:05 pm
I think it was a crap final but at least we are world champs again for the 2nd time.England didnt deserve to be there their rugby is shit to be honest but we beat them again at their game,kicking.NZ got fucked over big time by that pommie ref and Aus just had a bad day against the poms.Im glad SA won and the poms lost because they are such bad losers.In rugby the line is out its not soccer we playing so wake up assholes.Southern Hemisphere rule rugby and the BOKS are the best.
Anonymous October 24, 2007 10:01 pm
Well I can't agree with the comment before this one. I am a SA supporter and have been ever since I learn't how to play. Firstly I would like to congratulate the English, They have shown a courage and a pride that I think sets an example for the youth of their country to follow. Something along the lines of put 110% of your heart into everything you do and ignore your critics you might be surprised where you finish up. And congratulations to SA Who also showed amazing character throughout the tournament, who just seemed to really be enjoying their rugby, it was a pleasure to watch. The only thing I find dissapointing is the arrogant SOBS on both sides of the fence who just seem to want to complain. Thankfully it is not everyone writing here otherwise my estimation of the average rugby supporter would go down. I think rugby has always been about being Humble in victory and Gracious in defeat and I think that both the TEAMS have done just that. Oh and the guy who said that if this is what finals are going to turn into then you going to watch soccer? You obviously have only just come to the party, because most of the RWC finals are played this way, that is because at a final both teams defences are solid, because they are pumped up at being in a final and all thirty players tackle like demons, and for a good defense is as beautiful to watch as a good attack. Matthew Tait for eg after the 36-0 defeat, started making some huge takles, a man who had been defensivly weak suddenly became a defensive strength. I would urge the SAFA's to be humble, and the English to be gracious.
Anonymous October 24, 2007 10:13 pm
Congrats to both teams! England deserve some serious respect! Great final to cap a great Tournament. Bokke, you made us proud.
Phil October 24, 2007 10:47 pm
LMAO at this guy:"I think it was a crap final but at least we are world champs again for the 2nd time.England didnt deserve to be there their rugby is shit to be honest but we beat them again at their game,kicking.NZ got fucked over big time by that pommie ref and Aus just had a bad day against the poms.Im glad SA won and the poms lost because they are such bad losers.In rugby the line is out its not soccer we playing so wake up assholes.Southern Hemisphere rule rugby and the BOKS are the best."i wonder whether he is a Southern Hemisphere lions supporter posing as a South African. Or whether he is a bandwagon supporter....oooo world cup everyone suddenly knows everything about rugby....as i read in a previous "Fullbacks know fuck all about forward play" maybe this guy...if he plays anything other than Rugby computer games (if that) will realise that its not actually all about scoring tries. a team will take points if its to their advantage...sorry england couldnt perform your EA games manouvers round the pitch.I say congratulations to RSA they did truly deserve it. they played well throughout the tournament....although one small thing....i have to say, from the bottom of my heart, i am well and truly sorry if the guy who wrote that comment is actually from SA!oh yeh and as for that guy you talk about the crims being bad losers, ever heard of a bad winner? oh wait, i bet YOU as an individual has never won anything in your life, you sit back in your chair and comment on players that well and truly outclass you!!!oh yeh and i was V impressed with Matfields chip! !?!?SECOND ROW KICKING!?!?!?! might try that sometime this season........Well done again!
Anonymous October 25, 2007 11:06 am
I have to say I'm completely amazed by how many South Africans have been so negative towards England. Can't they just enjoy their victory rather than just trying to use it to ridicule the runners up? That is not what rugby is all about.
Anonymous October 25, 2007 11:21 am
lol to this guy!"I think it was a crap final but at least we are world champs again for the 2nd time.England didnt deserve to be there their rugby is shit to be honest but we beat them again at their game,kicking.NZ got fucked over big time by that pommie ref and Aus just had a bad day against the poms.Im glad SA won and the poms lost because they are such bad losers.In rugby the line is out its not soccer we playing so wake up assholes.Southern Hemisphere rule rugby and the BOKS are the best."we play shit rugby but you beat us at it! therefore you must have played really shit rugby!anywayi opened up this page thinking there were going to be loads of arguments, but i was suprised. I am a very gracious person in defeat until people say things like that! i still am gracious though.I have a couple of SA friends who i said to before the whole competition SA would win it no matter who was in the final! everyone expecteed SA to win it so winning it for them was more relief of pressure.imagine if england had won??? lolalso talking about being gracious in defeat has anyone seen how sunk jonny wilkinson looked after the game?? i thought he was a really positive person!Finally SA u achieved wat everyone expected. the team peaked perfectly (unlike NZ) congrats.and england congrats dont think we played to full potential but well done anyway!!!sackey cross field kick try was the best finish ever!!
I Love Free Bets October 25, 2007 12:22 pm
The try may have been a controversial decision but in all fairness the Springboks were the better side on the night and through the competition and thoroughly deserve to be World Champions.There were however promising signs again for England as Matthew Tait was superb in both positions and was arguably our most dangerous player. This bodes well for the future of English rugby and by 2011 he could be a world star.
Anonymous October 25, 2007 5:01 pm
I'm so happy SA won, but thought England did really well to get to the final, and their improvement during the tournament was incredible.And the disallowed try? I'm very glad it wasnt me who had to make the decision!!I felt so sorry for robinson having to go off though, you could tell he was so gutted!We have some amazing players, and I'm so happy for Habana winning player of the year, he definitely deserved it!
Andrew October 25, 2007 7:59 pm
There are more comments on here telling people to accept the fact that it wasn't a try than actually complaining that it wasn't a try. Can we South Africans not just enjoy our victory instead of turning on the losers?Well done England for reaching the final, your forwards deserve it. I just wish the boks hadn't retreated into a defensive shell when they got the lead, they certainly have the potential to score tries.For those English supporters congratulating us, please ignore some of the SA idiots on here, thank you and well done on your comeback.A South African
Anonymous October 26, 2007 1:00 am
i think that video is qualitylove the song too.the try could have gone either way and im not sure if it is cuetos foot or a lump of turf on the line, but even so, South Africa deserved to win the tournament as they were the only consistent side and some of their rugby was awesome (just look at the work done by Juan Smith in the video to set up the try for Van der Linde)Great World Cup
Anonymous October 26, 2007 9:14 am
sa had an easy run, crap teams up to the final, and shit team in the final, the easiest world cup win ever
Chump October 26, 2007 9:23 am
Big time kudos to the Bokke - over the whole tournament you deserved the win.Your captain was immense in the victory over Fiji - he alone brought you back from the brink of defeat by calming your back row down and getting back to playing Boks rugby rather than Fijian sevens.I am a proud england fan - but pissed at this lack of running rugby criticism. It wasn't a try (you know why - coz the ref didn;t give it everything else is irrelevant) and the boks deserved the win, their work in the loose and breakdown was unbelievable, guys sacrificing their bodies to get a turnover ball. I hope the sprignboks can keep their name and their long rugby tradition - the proteas just doesn;t work for rugby. Look forward to the next bruising encounter.
Anonymous October 28, 2007 5:45 pm
well done the BOKS made sa proud.Well done england you played well but we played beter.lol
Anonymous October 29, 2007 2:56 pm
It must be said, the South-Africans diserved to win. But I can't help feeling disappointed for the boys who put up a hell of a fight and reached the final against all odds. Stronger than my disappointment is my pride in the team. Well done boys, thank you England for all you've done and good luck for the future.Louis (by the way, the try was rightly ruled out, I've watched the video again and again, and cueto just touches the line with the tip of foot)
Dave November 20, 2007 5:02 pm
First, IMO i think it wasnt a try. The only thing that bugs me slightly is that tries have been awarded before where they were more clearly in touch than Cueto was there, off the top of my head, im thinking Wilkinsons try v Scotland 2007 6Nations, or O'Driscolls try v Australia 2003 World Cup...but at the end of the day, it was the correct desicion. And even if it had been awarded, something tells me that SA would still have held out and won. This coming from an England fan.Well done the Boks, you deserved to win, hats off to them. And even tho we lost, im mighty proud of our boys, playing 3 of the best teams in the world in 3 weeks and beating 2 of them and running the 3rd close...this just under a month after we were written off as failures. And we musnt forget the two pool games following that 36-0 thumping...we put a record score on Samoa 44-22, and we beat Tonga comfortably 35-20 after theyd ran the Boks close. And considering those two teams are two of the most physical and brutal teams in the world, i still find it funny that it was their players being stretchered off, not ours! Anyway, enough from me...South Africa, congratulations on a job well done. England...can't wait for the Six Nations 2008!
Cheyanqu November 26, 2007 5:50 pm
Larry B said:"I was very moved to see how the players embraced Pres. Mbeki and hoisted him as if he was part of the team, which I guess he was in a way."Depending on who you ask, Mbeki was indeed on the team... well at least the Selection Committee ;)
Anonymous December 11, 2007 9:13 pm
Well done boks for your composure -true class and deserving world champs! To those dirty pom players, you were lucky to get away without any red cards: Off the ball incidents, pushing Percy into the camera - really pathetic...And all those one eyed pommie supporters who can't acknowledge this are sore LOSERS.
Anonymous December 22, 2007 8:52 am
mark cueto scored that try south africans admit it, never has there been a more undeserving country to lift the world cup than south africa, you had an easy run to the finals and you know it, the only quality opposition you had to face was england, and that was a try that was scored, so the real winners were england
GMC December 31, 2007 4:05 pm
Easy run to the final? Undeserving?? A TRY??!South Africa beat Eng 36-0, almost lost to Fiji who tested us to the max and previously beat Wales. We also came close against a quality Tongan side who gave us a real scare. We then brushed aside the Argentinians who were in some people's opinions the team of the tournament. I can't see how that is undeserving. In the final we beat England who had come back and beaten Australia and France. To make that comment is way out of line and shows loads of bitterness and immaturity. Think before you say something. Oh, and as for the try - close call but a foot on the line is a foot on the line. Not really too complicated is it. Besides, Eng still would have been behind so build a bridge and get over it mate. You did well to make the final and compete, so be proud of that.
Anonymous January 06, 2008 4:35 pm
WELL DONE 2 THE BOKS! THEY DESERVD IT. ALTHOUGH, IF JOSH LEWSEY HAD BEEN FIT TO PLAY INSTEAD OF MARK CUETO, THAT WOULD HAV BEEN A TRY!!!JASON ROBINSON COULD HAV SCORED THAT TOO!!! ENGLAND + WORLD RUGBY WILL MISS HIM!!! >-<0-(:# THAT IS A SIDEWAYS PIC OF HIM MADE BY ME!!!POIS
Anonymous January 18, 2008 6:12 pm
i'm not english, and its good that this video shows all the cushy moments by SA, because in fairness you won :Dbut where was the massive effort shown by England in the final? the inspirational runs by Mathew tait?shame..
Anonymous April 12, 2008 9:07 pm
tbh though, a good winger would have scored ceuto's try, he made no attempt to lift his feet and didn't stretch his arms with the ball for a good dive, he just tried to bundle it over, probably thinking he had the try easily
Sharky May 14, 2008 3:27 pm
Aaahh special moments there, captured brilliantly. Goose pimple stuff. Have to say, looking back at it now, the video shows nicely how the Boks played some really good rugby and scored some fantastic tries througout the tournament. Unfortunately people will always have the memory of the final in their minds though... which was anything but free flowing.
Anonymous May 15, 2008 3:11 am
springbok crowned world champions,its not about england lol(mo offense)
Anonymous May 15, 2008 6:26 pm
Springboks in my mind weren't the team of the tournament. They had the easiest run to the final of any time for a long time and, apart from the final, when any pressure was put on them the team fell to pieces. All in all though, well done!
Benson May 15, 2008 6:37 pm
Easiest run to the final? They played Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Argentina, and then England in the final. Hardly an easy line up, especially considering the way those teams performed in the tournament.Not traditional powerhouses, but a team like Argentina got further than Australia, New Zealand and France did, so that's not to be underestimated. I still think SA played within themselves though, which, for me as a fan, was dissapointing. Oh and, so who was the best team in the tournament in your mind then?
Anonymous May 20, 2008 1:06 pm
i was there at the stade de france and i can say conclusively (as a neutral fan) that from where i was sitting on that corner about 10 rows in i saw his foot clip the line and there is no doubt in my mind that even if the try had been allowed SA would have still won, maybe not as comfortably but they would have. To all those bitter england fans i challenge you to get over yourself, SA were better on the night and the best team in the tournament (obviously) they were not properly challenged but i believe that if they had been challenged they still would have come out on top. Well done to SA for winning and thank you for playing some very entertaining rugby.
Anonymous August 07, 2008 5:00 pm
sa punished us for our mistakes fair play to them but can you stop using the typical johnny wilkinsons the only reason we got there give it up already because its like me saying that percy won you the match and every other match where he kicked enough penalties to outscore the other team its stupid
mattn October 14, 2008 8:39 pm
thanks to the few south africans that dont rub it in too much.Tbh south africa kicked better and if the try had been awarded then it would have been a different story altogether, but it wasnt warded so we r runners up, again (1991).
mattn October 14, 2008 8:44 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^we are only percieved to be cocky when we win stuff because its the only things we ever winour national sport is football and we cant even qualify for euro 2008who was in our group.most of things we won in the olypics was because of how much money we pumped into winning medalsall 235millionand we invented cricket and still lose at it.
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