SA Rugby magazine looks back at the 2015 World Cup, which saw the All Blacks win a second successive title and record third overall.
Having co-hosted the 1991 and 1999 World Cups, England were awarded the sole hosting rights for the 2015 tournament after seeing off bids from South Africa, Japan and Italy.
However, while 40 matches would be played at 12 venues in England, eight were scheduled to take place in Wales, due to the 74,000-seat capacity of Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
England’s World Cup dream quickly turned into a nightmare, though, as they became the first sole host nation to fail to progress beyond the pool stage.
After a 35-11 win against Fiji, coach Stuart Lancaster’s side suffered a 28-25 defeat to Wales at Twickenham. England captain Chris Robshaw turned down the chance for flyhalf Owen Farrell to kick a late penalty goal which, if successful, would have earned them a draw. Instead, they pushed for a try and lost the resultant lineout.
England had to beat the Wallabies in their final pool match to qualify for the quarter-finals. They never came close, conceding three tries in a 33-13 loss, with Australia then beating Wales 15-6 to top the ‘Pool of Death’.
Coach Heyneke Meyer’s Springboks had come into the World Cup low on confidence after losing all three of their Rugby Championship matches, including a first defeat to Argentina in Durban. But they were still expected to thrash Japan, who were ranked No 13 in the world, in their opening Pool B match.
However, under coach Eddie Jones, the Brave Blossoms pulled off the biggest upset in rugby history when substitute wing Karne Hesketh scored an 84th-minute try to snatch a 34-32 win.
The shell-shocked Springboks were able to regroup, though, and qualified for the quarter-finals with convincing wins against Samoa (46-6), Scotland (34-16) and the USA (64-0).
Bryan Habana’s hat-trick against the Americans saw him equal Jonah Lomu’s World Cup record of 15 tries, although he lost the ball over the line when he looked certain to score a fourth.
The All Blacks and Argentina progressed from Pool C (with the former beating the latter 26-16), while Ireland topped Pool D after a 24-9 win against France, who finished second, above Italy.
The Boks went into their quarter-final against an injury-plagued Wales team at Twickenham without lock Victor Matfield, who failed to recover from a hamstring ailment. The Welsh led 13-12 at the break thanks to a try by Gareth Davies, which came after Willie le Roux had misjudged Dan Biggar’s high ball.
With five minutes remaining in the match, the Boks trailed 19-18 and were awarded a scrum inside the Welsh 22. No 8 Duane Vermeulen broke away down the blindside, drew two defenders and managed to throw an out-the-back pass to Fourie du Preez, who scored in the left-hand corner.
It would be enough to set up a semi-final meeting with the All Blacks, who scored nine tries in their 62-13 thrashing of France in Cardiff.
In the other quarter-finals, Argentina hammered Ireland 43-20 and Australia edged Scotland 35-34 after referee Craig Joubert awarded a controversial late penalty for accidental offside that Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley coolly slotted.
Few gave the Boks a chance of beating the All Blacks in the first semi-final at Twickenham. Yet Meyer’s men led 12-7 at the break thanks to four penalties from flyhalf Handré Pollard. New Zealand were reduced to 14 men late in the first half when flank Jerome Kaino was yellow-carded for a cynical infringement, but the Boks failed to add to their tally while he was off the field.
All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter then slotted a drop goal and converted flyhalf Beauden Barrett’s try to give his side a 17-12 lead after 52 minutes.
The Boks suffered another blow when Habana was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-down, with Pollard and Carter exchanging penalties while he was off.
Bok replacement Pat Lambie reduced the deficit to two again with 11 minutes to go, but the All Blacks controlled territory and possession in the final stages to secure a 20-18 win.
In the second semi-final at Twickenham, the Wallabies claimed a comfortable 29-15 victory against the Pumas, with wing Adam Ashley-Cooper scoring a hat-trick. Argentina would then go on to lose to the Boks, 24-13, in the third-place playoff.
In 2011, the All Blacks had been fortunate to beat France in the final. In 2015, they dominated the decider and had the match wrapped up when centre Ma’a Nonu scored a try in the first minute of the second half to make it 21-3.
Wing Nehe Milner-Skudder had scored the All Blacks’ other try just before half time and when replacement Barrett dived over in the 78th minute, celebrations in New Zealand were well underway.
Carter, who had missed the 2011 final through injury, was Man of the Match in the 2015 decider, with two conversions, four penalties and a drop goal giving him a 19-point haul.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw lifted the Webb Ellis Cup and announced his retirement from Test rugby a few weeks later.
2015 Player of the Tournament
Dan Carter’s 2011 World Cup campaign was cruelly cut short by injury, but he was given the fairytale finish his career deserved four years later.
The flyhalf took a couple of pool games to get going in England, but by the time the knockout stage arrived he was in top form. Carter was outstanding in the thrashing of France in their quarter-final, scoring 17 points, and he picked up another 10 in the narrow semi-final win against the Boks, which included a drop goal early in the second half.
But Carter saved his best for the World Cup final, against the Wallabies at Twickenham. His game management and tactical kicking was masterful. He kicked a 69th-minute drop goal that was a dagger to the Wallabies’ heart, nailed a 50m penalty and then, with his last act in Test rugby, knocked over a conversion with his weaker right foot.
2015 Playoff results
Quarter-finals
South Africa 23 Wales 19
New Zealand 62 France 13
Argentina 43 Ireland 20
Australia 35 Scotland 34
Semi-finals
New Zealand 20 South Africa 18
Australia 29 Argentina 15
Third-place playoff
South Africa 24 Argentina 13
Final
New Zealand 34 Australia 17
By Simon Borchardt