Watch highlights of South Africa's second World Cup success (10.24)
France were regarded as one of the favourites on their home soil. They secured a Six Nations championship in February 2007 and came into the tournament following wins over England and Wales. If France were the pick of the northern hemisphere teams, then the usual suspects loomed from the Tri Nations. Despite controversial selection policies from South Africa and New Zealand during the Super 14 and Tri Nations, their success was all but guaranteed in the minds of most critics and fans.
While Pichot and Hernandez provided a fairytale story for the Pumas, all eyes were on lightning fast Springbok wing Bryan Habana. Much in a similar manner to Jonah Lomu in 1995, Habana captured the imagination with his explosive pace and deadly finishing skills. He dotted down eight times during the tournament.
| Player | Matches | Points |
|---|---|---|
| PC Montgomery (SA) | 7 | 105 |
| F Contepomi (Arg) | 7 | 91 |
| JP Wilkinson (Eng) | 5 | 67 |
| NJ Evans (NZ) | 4 | 50 |
Springbok fans saw their team take the trophy home, but perhaps the finest on field moment of the tournament came with Argentinean full-back Ignacio Corleto striding in to score his team's try that defeated France in the opener. The moment encapsulated the pride and passion of his team and their arrival on the world stage.
| Player | Matches | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| BG Habana (SA) | 7 | 8 |
| DA Mitchell (Aus) | 5 | 7 |
| DC Howlett (NZ) | 3 | 6 |
| SM Williams (Wales) | 4 | 6 |
| Host nations France |
| Dates September 7 - October 20 |
| No of nations 20 (91 qualifying) |
| Champions South Africa |
| Runners-up England |
| Matches played 48 |