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/ 20 October 2007

Montgomery kicks SA to victory

A ruthless South Africa punished England’s ill-discipline with a 15-6 win over the defending champions in the Rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France north of Paris on Saturday. Fullback Percy Montgomery took his points total for the tournament past the century mark by converting each of his four penalty attempts.

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/ 20 October 2007

Boks bring trophy back to Africa

South Africa defeated defending champions England 15-6 in a tense World Cup final at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday. South Africa, the 1995 champions, struck first after seven minutes when England centre Mathew Tait was penalised for holding on to the ball and Percy Montgomery slotted over a comfortable penalty in front of the posts.

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/ 18 October 2007

Boks look to clear final World Cup hurdle

Unbeaten South Africa face defending champions England in a mouth-watering Rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France on Saturday, a re-match of the pool match the Springboks won with consummate ease. But both sides have been quick to play down the significance of that record 36-0 rout, achieved when England were without talismanic flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson.

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/ 17 October 2007

Dream recall for England winger Cueto

Mark Cueto was given a dream England recall on Wednesday when coach Brian Ashton named him as the replacement for injured winger Josh Lewsey for Saturday’s World Cup final. Lewsey misses the game with a hamstring strain and Cueto, injured and then out of favour since the pool stage, was put straight in.

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/ 28 September 2007

England prove too strong for Tonga

Champions England advanced to a quarterfinal meeting with Australia after proving too strong for Tonga in their Pool A decider on Friday by running in four tries in an eventually convincing 36-20 victory. Winger Paul Sackey added two more in the first half at a sodden Parc des Princes.

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/ 22 September 2007

England battle to overcome Samoa

Reigning champions England overcame Samoa 44-22 to get their World Cup campaign back on track at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Saturday. Flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, playing his first World Cup match since the 2003 final, kicked 24 points, while captain Martin Corry scored two tries.

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/ 19 September 2007

England look to bounce back from Bok mauling

Brian Ashton may have entrusted the pivotal position of flyhalf to a man who has spent much of the past fortnight with his right foot in an ice bucket, but the England coach didn’t look like a man who’d taken a gamble when he unveiled his team to play Samoa. Fit-again Jonny Wilkinson returns and starts a Test with Olly Barkley at inside centre for the first time.

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/ 10 September 2007

White backs Boks to see off England

South Africa will beat world champions England in their crucial World Cup clash on Friday, Springbok coach Jake White claimed after his side walloped Samoa 59-7. White said he wasn’t basing his optimism on the poor performance of England in their 28-10 win over the United States or the 1995 world champions’ comprehensive defeat of Samoa, but on more solid factors.