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Hernández: The man with all the tricks up his sleeve
The curtain came down on a superb World Cup on Saturday night, with the Springboks claiming the William Webb Ellis trophy from England in the Final.
The game itself was hardly a thrill-a-minute affair, and in fact the only real excitement came though two individual moments of brilliance. In the first half François Steyn showed his class cutting through the England defence with quick feet, strength and pace, only to see the attack fizzle out.
Then it was the turn of Mathew Tait early in the second half. Stooping low to gather a bouncing ball he set off on a scintillating run that was halted within inches of the line. It was evidence of just how good he is, a a real star for the future.
But those moments aside the final will not be remembered for giving us many highlights of note. Still, throughout the last eight weeks we have seen some moments of pure magic, experienced some of the finest rugby in the world and in general been treated to a feast of highlights.
So join us as we now look back at the best moments from the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Best Try: There were some real gems to pick from here. There was Bryan Habana's first try in the semi-final against Argentina, Japan's length of the field score against Wales, Sebastian Chabal's fifty-metre effort against Namibia and Vilimoni Delasau's solo effort against Wales. But without a doubt this award goes to Takudzwa Ngwenya of USA for his sublime score against South Africa. It came from a counter-attack on their own line and resulted in the Zimbabwean-born wing turning Bryan Habana inside out before showing him a clean set of heels to scorch away down the touchline for the try of the tournament.
Spirit Award: Coming into their first ever Rugby World Cup nobody gave Portugal a chance, and in fact had tipped them to ship in excess of three hundred points. However what we saw in the opening four weeks of the tournament from Os Lobos was a tribute to their sheer guts and determination. They may have gone down 108-13 to New Zealand, and finished the tournament without a win, but they left with huge respect and admiration from the rugby public. They managed to score a try in every one of their games, with the most popular score being Rui Cordeiro's try against the All Blacks. From an impromptu game of football against the All Blacks to a wedding proposal for one of their players after their last game, Portugal will forever be etched into rugby fans' hearts.
Game of the Tournament: Some fine contenders here, ranging from Japan against Fiji, to Georgia's heroic efforts against Ireland, to Tonga giving the Springboks a huge fright. But the one game that stands above the rest was Fiji against Wales in the final Pool B encounter. This game had everything, from sensational tries, drama, excitement and all to a fairytale ending thrown in for good measure. It was a winner-takes-all clash and it produced some spectacular rugby. First of all, Fiji raced away to a commanding lead with some daring rugby, only to see Wales click into gear and come roaring back into it with some dazzling rugby, the highlight of which was Shane Williams' solo effort. Then with just eight minutes remaining Martyn Williams intercepted a Nicky Little pass to race away for what appeared to be the decisive try. With time running out Fiji poured forward in a last desperate effort to snatch victory and when Graham Dewes burrowed over the greatest victory in Fijian history was sealed.
Underdogs Award: It was widely expected that sides such as Georgia, Namibia, Portugal and Tonga would go quietly into the night against such formidable opposition. But this World Cup was never a place where scripts were followed, far from it. With performances such as those Georgia and Namibia produced against Ireland, to Tonga's efforts against the likes of England and South Africa, to Portugal's passionate displays, the World Cup was the breeding ground for heroic underdog exploits. All of these games point towards a closing in the gap between the top table of rugby and those who have had to feed of the scraps for too long. Expect some big surprises come 2011 in New Zealand.
Moment of kicking genius Award: Rugby is a running game, a game where players have balance and guile, coupled with speed and agility. Yet the ability to produce tries with the kicking game is something that has developed as being more and more important, and we were treated to a sublime example of this skill in France's win over Ireland. Frédéric Michalak produced a mesmerising banana kick to fool everyone but the on-rushing Vincent Clerc who gathered the ball to score one of the great tries.
Rising Star: It is a tall order to fill the boots of Stephen Larkham at the best of time, let alone when you are thrown in at the deep end in the middle of the World Cup against Wales. That was the predicament facing Berrick Barnes when Larkham was injured in the lead up to the game. With the pressure firmly on the young fly-half he delivered a performance Larkham himself would have been proud of. He went on to turn in a series of assured displays defying his tender age, confirming he is a real star of the future.
Skills Award: Throughout the tournament we witnessed a feast of exquisite skills, from audacious foot work to cunning kicking. One player wowed the crowds more than most and that man was Argentina's mercurial fly-half Juan Martín Hernández. Finally given a run in the number ten jersey he went through his full repertoire of tricks to dazzle mystified defences. The pick of the bunch was his cheeky up and under against Ireland, which he took flying high in the air and then somehow managed to flick the ball to Rodrigo Roncero with a sublime reverse pass, all this before he had landed back on terra firma.
Player of the tournament: This one is not based on our team of the week selections but purely on the player who gave more to this tournament than the rest. Bryan Habana wrote his name all over the Rugby World Cup this year, equalling Jonah Lomu's try scoring record with eight in one tournament. Not only that but he set the World Cup alight with some special scores, none more so than his chip and chase against Argentina. Then in the final he tackled his heart out with some monster hits to quash the England attacks.
