Rugby World Cup: Scott Wilson's Review of the Tournament

The tournament has been hailed as the greatest ever, and Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson picks out some personal highlights.

BEST PLAYER

DAN CARTER

David Pocock bossed the breakdown for Australia and Nehe Milner-Skudder proved an artful finisher for New Zealand, but in terms of an all-round impact, it was fitting that Carter topped off his career with his best tournament in an All Blacks shirt.

Four years ago, injury robbed him of the opportunity to guide his side to glory, so it felt only fair that arguably the greatest fly-half ever to play the game proved so influential and polished in Saturday’s final.

His performance against the Wallabies was all about impeccable decision-making and control, but his flair was to the fore as he ran the All Blacks’ quarter-final with France and he was excellent under pressure in a nerve-jangling semi-final with South Africa.

BEST NEWCOMER

LOOD DE JAGER

If not exactly an unknown quantity prior to the start of the World Cup, de Jager burst to prominence with a series of stirring displays at the heart of the Springbok pack.

The 22-year second row impressed so much he kept South African legend Victor Matfield out of the team, with his measured set-piece play at the line-out complemented by some rampaging running in the loose.

North-East supporters got to see the best of him, with his barnstorming display in the group-stage win over Scotland confirming his emergence as a rare talent. His Springbok team-mate Damian de Allende is an equally exciting youngster.

BEST MATCH

JAPAN vs SOUTH AFRICA

The final match at St James’ Park was a cracker, with Samoa pushing Scotland all the way in a helter-skelter game that featured a record number of points in the first half.

But for sheer edge-of-the-seat drama, it was impossible to top the opening week shock that saw Japan topple South Africa in the biggest World Cup upset of all time.

That Japan were anywhere near the Springboks going into the final minute was remarkable; that they shunned the opportunity to kick for a draw and propelled Karne Hesketh over for a decisive stoppage-time try was even more incredible.

BEST TRY

NIKI GONEVA (FIJI vs WALES)

Julian Savea’s battering-ram score against France featured an awesome display of strength, while Bernard Foley’s picture-perfect try against England was a masterclass in attacking running lines.

The best tries are the length-of-the-field affairs though, and on that score, Goneva’s effort in an otherwise unremarkable group game was a thing of real beauty.

Asaeli Tikoirotuma picked up the ball close to his own 22 and dummied his way past two opponents, fellow winger Timoci Nagusa beat three more Welshmen before flicking an underarm offload inside, and Goneva powered onto his shoulder to burst between the final two defenders and score.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY

CRAIG JOUBERT’S RUN FROM THE FIELD

On the whole, this was a good tournament for referees, and for rugby’s cherished code of respect for the officials. Even the Television Match Official (TMO) controversies of the opening weekend did not continue to overshadow the action.

There was one exception, however, and that was Joubert’s conduct in the decisive final seconds of Australia’s quarter-final win over Scotland.

It wasn’t so much that the South African official made a wrong call to penalise Scotland – that can happen and it was a close-run thing. The thing that really stuck in the throat was the way in which he sprinted off the field like an embarrassed schoolboy. Whatever he does in the future, he will find it hard to live that down.

BEST DECISION

TAKING THE GAMES UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY

It might have been focused on Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium, but this felt like a tournament for the whole of the country and, as a result, the whole of the country joined in.

From Newcastle to Exeter and Leeds to Milton Keynes, the World Cup played out to packed stadia, enthusiastic supporters and generated an atmosphere that was both inclusive and passionate.

There were minor grumbles about ticket prices and the creaking transport infrastructure, but on the whole, England’s hosting of the tournament was a huge success. The world came, and enjoyed what it saw.

WORST DECISION

ENGLAND’S KICK FOR THE CORNER AGAINST WALES

The success of the tournament as a whole was even more notable given the struggles of the host nation. England became the first hosts to fail to make it out of the group stage, with their shortcomings ruthlessly exposed by both Wales and Australia.

The Wales defeat was the key one, as England had been in control of the game before some characteristic indiscipline and a raft of unnecessary substitutions tilted the scoreboard in Wales’ favour.

Even then, there was still a final chance of redemption, but rather than allowing Owen Farrell to kick a penalty that might well have secured a useful draw, skipper Chris Robshaw instructed his players to kick for the corner. The error was compounded when a senseless short line-out resulted in England being bundled into touch.

BIGGEST LESSON TO LEARN

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE TEAMS NEED TO RETHINK THEIR ENTIRE TACTICAL APPROACH

Had the referee not erred, Scotland might have made the semi-finals. Had their injury list not been as long, Wales might also have gate-crashed the last four. As it was though, there was no Northern Hemisphere team beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in history.

That should act as a major wake-up call, and the current status quo cannot be allowed to continue. Would summer rugby lead to more attacking? Does the Six Nations need a shake-up, with tier two countries involved? Would a pan-European club league help raise standards?

There is no easy answer, but some serious thinking is needed. England and France should be the powerhouses of European rugby – instead, they are going backwards at a rate of knots.

TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

B Smith (New Zealand), N Milner-Skudder (New Zealand), M Nonu (New Zealand), M Giteau (Australia), J Savea (New Zealand), D Carter (New Zealand), A Smith (New Zealand); S Sio (Australia), A Creevy (Argentina), R Herrera (Argentina), L de Jager (South Africa), B Retallick (New Zealand), S Burger (South Africa), S Warburton (Wales), D Pocock (Australia).

Replacements: J Imhoff (Argentina), A Ashley-Cooper (Australia), C Smith (New Zealand), F Sanchez (Argentina), T Faletau (Wales), L Picamoles (France), S O’Brien (Ireland).

Coach: Eddie Jones (Japan)