The boot is still better in RWC Final
New Zealand will host France in the seventh World Cup Final in Auckland on Sunday and if history is a yardstick we should not be expecting a try feast.
In the previous six finals tries were not at a premium. In fact, in most cases the boot won the day and in two finals no tries were scored at all.
In fact in only one grand finale – the inaugural RWC Final between the All Blacks and Les Blues at the same venue in 1987 – were more than two tries scored, when New Zealand won 29-9.
The Kiwis outscored the French by three tries to one, with Australia’s 35-12 win over France twelve years later in Cardiff the only other blowout in the tournament’s showstopper. The Wallabies outscored the Tricolours by two tries to nil, with seven penalties to four making up the rest of the scoring.
And that is another interesting statistic – the French have lost badly in both their appearances in the final.
Only one other RWC Final produced more than one try, but even then the boot triumphed. In 2003 a Jonny Wilkinson drop-goal in extra-time won the day (a 20-17 win for England over Australia) in a game that saw the teams score one try each.
Australia’s 12-6 win over England in London in 1991 produced just one try – for the Wallabies.
South Africa, one of only two teams to have won the World Cup twice, have yet to score a try in a RWC Final.
In 1995 Joel Stransky out-duelled Andrew Mehrtens (Stransky with three penalties and two drop-goals against Mehrtens’ three penalties and one drop-goal) for the Boks to mark their debut in the tournament by claiming the Webb Ellis trophy. Stransky’s second and match-winning drop-goal came with seven minutes of extra-time remaining.
Twelve years later, 2007, South Africa beat England 15-6 thanks to five penalties from Percy Montgomery (four) and Frans Steyn, while England’s reply was two Jonny Wilkinson penalties.
We bring you the scoring breakdowns of all the past finals as well as a video preview of the 2011 RWC Final:
2007 – SOUTH AFRICA 15 ENGLAND 6
The scorers:
For South Africa:
Pens: Percy Montgomery 4, Frans Steyn
For England:
Pens: Wilkinson 2
2003 – ENGLAND 20 AUSTRALIA 17
The scorers:
For Australia:
Try: Lote Tuqiri
Pens: Elton Flatley 4
For England:
Try: Jason Robinson
Pens: Jonny Wilkinson 4
DG: Wilkinson
1999 – AUSTRALIA 35 FRANCE 12
The scorers:
For Australia:
Tries: Ben Tune, Owen Finegan
Cons: Matthew Burke 2
Pens: Burke 7
For France:
Pens: Christophe Lamaison 4
1995 – SOUTH AFRICA 15 NEW ZEALAND 12
(Extra-time)
The scorers:
For South Africa:
Pens: Joel Stransky 3
DGs: Stransky 2
For New Zealand:
Pens: Andrew Mehrtens 3
DG: Mehrtens
1991 – AUSTRALIA 12 ENGLAND 6
The scorers:
For Australia:
Try: Tony Daly
Con: Michael Lynagh
Pens: Lynagh 2
For England:
Pens: Jonathan Webb 2
1987 – NEW ZEALAND 29 FRANCE 9
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Michael Jones, David Kirk, John Kirwan
Con: Grant Fox
Pens: Fox 4
DG: Fox
For France:
Try: Pierre Berbizier
Con: Didier Camberabero
Pen: Camberabero
Compiled by Jan de Koning
* In a preview of this Sunday’s World Cup Final, New Zealand’s Andrew Mehrtens took to the field against former France captain Philippe Saint-André in an off-roading and sheep-herding contest. They also give their views on Sunday’s showstopper.
