[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
England all the way. Who--me, few hours left before the cup flies back to England. :)
[/QUOTE]
back? Its the maiden trip sir ji :p . Keep it safe till we claim it back in four years.
Still.....one of best rugby games I have seen..bit my nails to the skin.
What an exciting game, i dont watch Rugby with that much interest but i wathched todays final and i was not disappointed at all, it was a nail-biting finish and Wilkinson did it again for England.
A marvellous game which England nearly lost.
Wilko all the way.
It’s England’s Cup](http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/RugbyWorldCup/EN/Tournament/News/md2311AusEngfinal.htm)
England have beaten Australia 20-17 in a thrilling Rugby World Cup final before a capacity crowd at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium tonight.
But coach Clive Woodward had to endure 20 minutes of extra time before his side became the first Northern Hemisphere team in the Tournament’s 16 year history to hold the Webb Ellis Cup aloft.
The mammoth English pack revelled in the wet conditions controlling the breakdown and line out against the less experienced Wallabies pack. But trailing for most of the match the Wallabies never gave in, Elton Flatley’s 79th minute penalty sending the match into overtime.
With the scores locked at 17-all after 19 minutes of extra time it was the marksmanship of England’s Jonny Wilkinson that proved the difference, the mercurial fly half kicking a drop goal to secure victory.
Wallabies take early lead
Australia took the early lead with a try to wing Lote Tuqiri in the sixth minute but three unanswered penalty goals from Wilkinson and a try to wing Jason Robinson put England in the driver’s seat leading 14-5 at half time.
But it was the Wallabies that set the tone for the first half moving the ball wide early despite the wet conditions.
The final was only six minutes old when Australian fly half Stephen Larkham put a kick to the left corner for Tuqiri to leap high for the ball and plant it over the try line for the first points of the match.
Australia’s 5-0 lead coming off the back of two English misdemeanours in their own half.
Wilkinson sparks attack
Wilkinson registered his side’s first points with a penalty in the 12th minute, sparking the English attack but solid defence from the Wallabies restricted play to their own side of half way.
Wilkinson’s second penalty on the 20 minute mark put England in front 6-5 as the pre-Tournament favourites began to find their rhythm.
A certain England try went begging in the 25th minute when flanker Richard Hill toed the ball through after an Australian mistake only to see second row Ben Kay knock on with the line wide open.
Wilkinson recovered from a knock to his shoulder after a heavy tackle on replacement Australian fly half Matt Giteau, who came on for a blood-binned Larkham, to collect his third three-pointer and give his side a 9-5 lead 13 minutes from the break.
When Robinson got around fellow league convert Wendell Sailor in the 37th minute, England’s lead was extended to 9 points going into the break.
Arm wrestle
The second half developed into an arm wrestle, with England enjoying the weight of possession. But two Flatley penalties, the first in the 48th minute and again on the hour mark, reduced England’s lead to three as the rain continued to tumble.
Will Greenwood gave English supporters something to cheer about in the 68th minute chasing a loose ball down the right flank, but Matt Rogers was on hand to put the ball into touch only metres from the try line.
Flatley sends it to extra time
The English forwards controlled the ball superbly for the majority of the second half, denying the Wallabies any attacking options but a Flatley penalty in the final minute sent RWC 2003 into extra time.
Wilkinson made no mistake with his penalty attempt two minutes into extra time to give his side a 17-14 lead which they held at the break.
The Wallabies mounted several attacking raids through Rogers and Tuqiri in the second stanza of extra time but the England defence held.
It was Flatley again bringing the scores level 17-all through another penalty with two minutes remaining but Wilkinson’s drop goal at the death gave England the match 20-17.
Wilkinson became the highest points scorer of the Tournament surpassing Frederic Michalak’s 103 points by 10.
who were the umpires?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sambrialian: *
who were the umpires?
[/QUOTE]
Human beings
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Human beings
[/QUOTE]
thanday, Ehsan bhai, thanday. I was kidding. :)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sambrialian: *
thanday, Ehsan bhai, thanday. I was kidding. :)
[/QUOTE]
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! I should have put a smilie.
All you might wanna sit down, it was a close whooping. 
I told you we’d win, you pakis and freekin koalas can’t play a decent game of rugby like us pommes We are a Rugby crazy town and everyone was walking around looking like so: :D.
And Sambie, when was the last time paki land won anything worth showing on your mantle piece?
O and we beat Canada at rugby too at rugby, cricket and conkers. 
are they good at anything apart from mounty sports? (ie ice skating)?
I’m so proud, it’s about time we won SOMETHING, as a brit-pak, I spend half my life mourning Paki loss and the other half basking in English shame.
I nearly died when they equalised. Shame really
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by MyStiCaL_MisS: *
if you can get the ball then..
plus this summer weather isnt for poms.. theyll be out of it..
[/QUOTE]
Sorry, what were you saying? :)
Yahay, we won
Wish Wilko was fit though..i might’ve watched :sigh:
This is the first world cup England has won in 37 years.
During this time Pakistan has won the cricket world cup once and Hockey world cup more than once. So there is no comparison.
Thats not the point, the point is I am revelling in a first win. LIke you pointed out, it is about time.
As a paki I support my land. Its just that a win is so hard to come by nowwa days.
get in der wilko’ lad come on!! nahhhh nah nahhhhhhhhh nah nah nahhhhhh england nah nahhhh anhhhhhh england england, ders only one jonny wil kin son der is only one our local lad, der’s only 1 kingston park’s lad!!!la laaaa laaaaaaaa… i’m estatic euphoria i’m over the moon yesssssss :biggthumb we have done it we have finally nailed the aussies and nailed dem hard :k: about time en’ all and who better to win the cup for uz, newcastle’s own jonny wilkinson, the kicking sensation, from the geordie land yesssssssssssssssssss!!! wata gr8 drop goal 20 secs from time and on his weaker foot 2 but nah not jonny he is as cool as @ cucumber, nerves of steel a gr8 private (conservative) bloke. i can’y wait to see him and the rest of the squad when he & dey jet in @ heathrow!!!*
p.s " ha haaaaaaaaa 
aussies in ur face beat ya in ur own back yard
oh shut up :p
first time in how many yrs? 37?
Congrats.
It was a tough game, loved it..
if it wasnt wilkos kick in the last minute.. n a lot of luck, you poms wud never hav made it..
:p
[thumb=D]scorecard18849_85702901.JPG[/thumb]
COME ON!!! - That… was… quite possibly… the greatest game of rugby I have ever seen.
[thumb=D]Jonny18849_67521671.JPG[/thumb]
*'Good o’l Jonny *
What a win for England - Jonny Boy Wilkinson does the job with an unbelievable drop goal in the final minute at the end of normal extra time. It was truly a fairytale moment - well done to England who became the first side in history to win the World Cup coming from the Northern Hemisphere - well done to Martin Johnson and his men.
It was an unbelievable first half - England were romping Australia left rightand centre - they were much the better side throughout the game. Australia got lucky in the second half - to be honest after the first try in the 5 minute beginning they were absolutely awful - England trampled all over them whole match - they just kept getting back in at the final minute even with fumbles - and with some good Penalty kicking - you know why? because my boys never gave up as the defending champions did - hahaha
[thumb=D]MartinJohnson_40290511.JPG[/thumb]
'England captain Martin Johnson holds the 2003 Rugby World Cup
COME ON!!! Finally England beat Australia - and how! They beat them in their own back yard in the final when the Australia were the defending champions at the time - haha who–me guess what - my predications were so true. 
we thrashed you - demolished you - pounded you - in your own backyard - doesn’t get better than this! 
Recap of the Final
First Half: Australia 5-0 England
Australia get off to an amazing start with a try within 5 minutes. It’s too far wide to be converted.
Then, the game turns.
Half time: Australia 5-14 England
Johnny Wilkinson scores 3 penalties, England also score a try but once again it’s too wide for even Jonny Wilkinson to convert it - one of Johnny’s penalties is from within the England half 
**Second half **
England kept on making errors - and giving away penalties. Australia didn’t give a single scoreable penalty away.
Half a minute from time: Australia 11-14 England
England sadly give away one too many penalties
FULL TIME: Australia 14-14 England
So… we’re off into **extra time. **
Within two minutes of extra time starting, Jonny Wilkinson scores a penalty
Australia 14-17 England - Two minutes into extra time
Australia 14-17 England - Two minutes from the end of extra time
Australia score a penalty just two minutes from the end of extra time
Australia 17-17 England - Half a minute from the end of extra time
England are pushing in the Australian 22. The ball gets passed to Jonny Wilkinson.
Jonny Wilkinson kicks the ball for a drop goal.
Jonny Wilkinson scores the deciding points - England won England won!
**FINAL SCORE: Australia 17 - 20 England **
smokes a cigar in Tribute for World Cup WIN 
Lemme add one more
Jonny Wilkinson is Knighted by the old hag.
Bless you, at least be gracious in your loss
dinn i predict the victory this time. as a matetr of fact, the entire run of the cup from quarter finals onwards.
Now dont come to me askign for advice before you head on to bookmakers for other sports. My precitions are limited to rugby :)
who-me... Boo ya
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by who---me: *
Lemme add one more
Jonny Wilkinson is Knighted by the old hag.
[/QUOTE]
Haha - i take it you mean the Queen makes him Sir Johnny? Yeah i fully agree - and Martin Johnson too - and Clive Woodward in all.