stunning way with the nation that is hosting facing the All Blacks in the game's pivotal tournament opener. Rugby supporters can book France Rugby World Cup Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
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We honour people who lit the nine prior Rugby World Cups on fire as part of our Source Plus countdown to the event.
RWC 1987: John Kirwan (New Zealand)
In 1987, the Rugby World Cup represented a daring new dawn for a sport that was inexorably moving towards professionalism. Kirwan, who was 22 years old, was one of its bright spots. In the tournament opener against Italy, he scored two tries, the first of which is still considered to be one of the best witnessed at a tournament.
Kirwan ran a blazing 90 metres after snatching the ball after an interruption in his own 22 and slaloming past nearly the whole Italian team. The wing later admitted that he developed his quickness and evasion by running through a forest at full speed while dodging trees.
He recorded six tries in the 1987 competition, including one that completed New Zealand's victory over France in the decisive game, and helped his country win the first cup ever on home soil.
RWC 1991: David Campese (Australia)
When the legendary Bill McLaren was asked to select the best players he had ever seen, David Campese was always at the top of the list, despite all of his years, commentary, and names that came naturally to the Scots Borders. In 1991, the Wizard of Oz was at the height of his powers, performing bizarre spells as the Wallabies claimed their first Rugby World Cup.
There was a bit of frustration amid the spectacular, as is typical of Campese. He played a significant role in Michael Lynagh's illustrious winning score before being exposed in the dramatic quarterfinal match versus Ireland. However, the semi-final matchup with New Zealand is depicted in Australian rugby legend.
Before the game even started, Campese started his career-defining performance by warming up by himself while the rest of the squad faced the haka. The black juggernaut was kicked in the face with sand. If that was rude, what happened next was shocking. You can buy your Rugby World Cup Semi Finals Tickets.
Campese scorched over in the left corner, then pounced on a Lynagh chip, bamboozled the All-Black defence down the right, and threw an exquisite ball over his shoulder without trying to chase Tim Horan away, leaving New Zealanders reeling in his wake.
Genius. as well as old Campese. In his match report, renowned Australian rugby writer Greg Growden referred to him as “the Pele of rugby.” Rory Underwood of England and Gavin Hastings of Scotland deserve special commendation.
RWC 1995: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
None other than Jonah. Rugby's first and biggest icon, who broke down barriers, captured people's imaginations and changed the game. The 1995 Rugby World Cup served as Lomu's first significant introduction to the sport, showcasing his enormous stature, astounding speed, and frequently underrated skill.
He was only 19 at the time. Nearly 30 years later, with his four tries in New Zealand's thrashing of England in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals sorry, Mike Catt still resonates. The legend of Lomu began with this. Four years later, he surpassed his seven-try total from that competition, and only Bryan Habana and Julian Savea have since matched it.
Of course, the 1995 Webb Ellis Cup was not won by Lomu's All Blacks. One of any sport's most compelling narratives is that of South Africa's triumph, which is wrapped in a tale of freedom. Heroic Joost van der Westhuizen played a key role in this narrative by superbly taking down Lomu in the try-less final. The fact that these two titans are no more with us is such a dreadful tragedy.
RWC 1999: Christophe Dominici (France)
Tim Horan is without a doubt the player of the 1999 Rugby World Cup if we have to choose a standout performer for the entire competition. However, Christophe Dominici is our man when it comes to pizazz, shock, and unexpected brilliance. Nobody prayed for France in the semifinal matchup against the merciless All-Black machine because they were erratic and weak.
Lomu, Jeff Wilson, and Tana Umaga made up the back three of that New Zealand team. Christian Cullen played middle, Andrew Mehrtens played fly-half, and Josh Kronfeld, Robin Brooke, and Craig Dowd made up a vicious pack. At six minutes into the second half, they were up by 14 points. How frequently is this position usurped by New Zealand?
That day, France might have ascended Everest by himself, very likely. In a way that can only be done by the French, they were amazing. Beautiful and harmonious but completely lethal. Dominici, who stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall, was the All-Blacks’ tormentor. To set up Christophe Lamaison, he separated them open down his left side, dodging defender after defence.
He then took advantage of a nasty bounce off Fabien Galthie's corner kick to scramble clear on his own. He covered a plain Twickenham canvas with joyful expanses of red, white, and blue. People continued to talk about 1999 after Dominici's abrupt and very unfortunate death in 2020, celebrating the accomplishments of the tiny dynamo who had rocked the rugby world.
RWC 2003: Jonny Wilkinson (England)
Though Wilkinson's nerveless, weaker-footed goal to win the first English Rugby World Cup is, in many ways, the fly-half in microcosm, it's not just about the drop-goal. His tournament was filled with numerous instances of the highest calibre, such as a lovely crosskick to Iain Balshaw versus Samoa, the containment of an out-of-control Wales, and the tactical destruction of France in the semifinal.
He played the strings and led the deadly orchestra of England. There is no one in rugby history you would rather see taking the most powerful pressure shot while facing the goalposts with the Rugby World Cup on the line. Rupeni Caucaunibuca, a wonder from Fiji, deserves a tonne of praise, as do Joe Rokocoko, Jason Robinson, and Lote Tuqiri, who all charmed Australia.
RWC 2007: Bryan Habana (South Africa)
The fact that every team seemed to set out on a quest to get as jacked-up as they could in the gym beforehand contributed to this Rugby World Cup not being a classic to witness. In the Six Nations, European teams vanished from view, only to reappear in the warm-up Tests with blood bursting and jerseys strained beneath the sinew. Such was the game's trend in 2007.
Despite being extremely strong, Habana never preferred to use blunt force trauma, even against a ferocious Springbok team. He was a great Test-match predator, scorching Samoa for four tries in one game and adding two more tries each against the United States and Argentina.
Others, particularly those that were braced versus Los Pumas, were all abilities and intelligence, while some were based on positioning and quickness. An interception that was perfectly timed and chipped in. He would go on to win the World Rugby Player of the Year award and become a world champion.
Sebastian Chabal was a cult figure and a wrecking ball for France, while Agustin Pichot led an extraordinary Argentine campaign that determined their quest for Tier One entry.
RWC 2011: Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
The majority of the front-runners from 2011 are back-row forwards. Despite the iconic red card, we might have easily chosen a teenage Sam Warburton, whose mastery of the breakdown propelled Wales to new heights. David Pocock and Heinrich Brussow were two of the top jackals in the world. On the blind-side flank, Jerome Kaino was New Zealand's go-to killer.
However, McCaw was the All Blacks' go-to player at a moment when anything less than success would have triggered a nuclear war in rugby's most fervent country. Playing with an injured foot that significantly reduced his training time, he carried the weight of the world at the first Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand since 1987 following the team's loss in 2007.
During the semifinal and championship matches, the captain had noteworthy efforts by tackling 16 Frenchmen, forcing three turnovers, and clearing more than half of All-Black rucks. You can buy your Rugby World Cup Final Tickets.
RWC 2015: David Pocock (Australia)
It was like using a toothpick to pry a limpet out of a rock to try and shift Pocock from a player who had been tackled. The Wallaby was virtually unmovable at his finest; his timing, speed, and strike rate over the ball were examples of potent rugby talent. As brilliant as he was in 2011, he may have been even better in 2015 as a member of the superb Australian back-row
It also included Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy. The quality of Pocock demands perspective. Between December 2012 and July 2015, he did not participate in a Test match. He suffered two knee ligament ruptures during that protracted, fruitless period, necessitating nearly back-to-back major operations and exhausting months of recuperation.
He was used by Michael Cheika as a number eight rather than an open-side to combine Pocock and Hooper into one team. That implied that he was expected to do more than just fetch and scavenge. The outcomes were astounding. In a hotly competitive pool, Pocock destroyed England and Wales at the breakdown and wrecked Argentina in the semifinals.
The resurrected colossus shone, even in a defeat to the All-Black champs, arguably the greatest team in professional sports history. Many Kiwis, including Ben Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Nehe Milner-Skudder, and Julian Savea, may have been chosen in this situation.
RWC 2019: Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
Although South Africa's victory was built on brute force, the sprite on the wing was frequently the dagger that was employed to deliver the fatal blow after the bludgeon had finished its work. Rugby in the modern day is a game for giants. At 5ft 8ins and 75kg, it takes a unique kind of athlete to survive, much less thrive.
Kolbe is a lightweight who has been thrown in with the heavyweights, and he has them all swaying and thrashing about like giraffes on ice. It is absurd that for a long time, South African coaches appeared determined to deny their country and the rugby community access to this incredible talent. Kolbe frequently heard that he was an elite player who wasn't Test material because he was too little.
Rassie Erasmus saw what those coaches were unable to do. He observed the spring of a gazelle, the footwork of a dancer, and the tenacity of a mongoose. He recognised a player who had the potential to tilt the scales. Kolbe reached adulthood during Erasmus in 2018 and rose to fame in Japan.
There were other instances of dynamism belying his small physic, including mighty tries and even more powerful hits versus Italy and Japan, rocketing bursts against New Zealand, and the peeling of England to win the match. For Japan, Michael Leitch showed heroism. The “kamikaze kids,” Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, had a big impact on England's journey to the championship.
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