/ 9 November 1999

BURKE ONE POINT SHORT OF TOP SCORER

AUSTRALIAN fullback Matthew Burke scored 25 points as the Wallabies downed France 35-12 in Saturday’s World Cup final – but his tally left him one point short of ending up as the tournament’s leading scorer. Argentine fly-half Gonzalo Quesada ended the Cup with 102 points to Burke’s 101, but the Australian was more interested in his winners’ medal than individual statistics. “It was a great performance from both teams,” Burke said after the Asutralian win. “I think the crowd enjoyed themselves, and there was a some free-flowing football from both teams,” said Burke. “It was always going to be a penalty shoot-out – that was the nature of the tournament,” he admitted. But none of that detracted from the Aussies’ performance, according to Burke, who added: “It has been a big crew on tour for us and it has been a very harmonious atmosphere. “It just goes to show what a great bunch of guys can produce. We have been striving for this for two years and we have achieved it today.”