Spirit of the tournament
Heyneke Meyer captured it – assessing South Africa’s semi-final defeat with some decent old-school honesty. “I take it on the chin. I gave it everything I’ve got but it wasn’t good enough. It was probably my mistake.” On Friday he weighed up his future: “I’ve probably made a lot of mistakes but I want to be part of the solution. You have to be crazy in this job, you have to love people, and I love my country, and I do love people. I’m totally crazy. I’m a total nutter.”
Best tension raiser
Australia coach Mario Ledesma made like a cabinet minister and displayed his secret tactical notes in front of photographers on Friday. The notes included sage advice to: “Own the air space, catch everything, chase everything.” Either the tournament’s best gaffe, or its neatest double bluff.
Best staying power
Richie McCaw – avoided being cited after footage of him apparently elbowing Francois Louw went viral following their semi-final. The All Blacks icon duly bowed out in a World Cup final.
Referee of the tournament
Nigel Owens – regularly trended on social media as fans lapped up his best lines. Among them: telling Scotland’s Stuart Hogg to stop with the diving at Newcastle’s St James’ Park or “come back in two weeks” when the football restarts; plus a neat clarification: “He’s not punching him, he’s pushing him with his fist.” On which subject…
Best device
RefCam. Premier League football: you’re really missing a trick.
The host’s lowest moment
3 October, 9.52pm. The moment it became clear England men’s football, cricket and rugby teams had come together as one – all of them knocked out of their respective World Cups at the group stages, inside 16 months.
Boldest fate-tempter
Ben Youngs, teeing up that England game against Australia: “We’ve got to make sure we come out for the game and, in that first 20 minutes, blow them away. We’ve got come out with a real intensity, an edge, real physicality. Don’t match what they bring, we’ve got to go above that. Above and beyond. In the first 20 minutes we’ve got to give them a reason to fold.” Bernard Foley scored the first try on cue, after 20 minutes.
Boldest call
Danny Cipriani, also weighing up the power balance pre-game: “Not one Australian would get into that England team right now. Head to head, England are just too strong.”
Most prescient tweet
@SW_Trains, calling it a day at half-time of the Australia game: “Twickenham customers for trains towards Waterloo use the entrance through the station car park.”
Most awkward moment
Joe Launchbury – handed the man-of-the-match award after England’s mauling. “It was embarrassing. It won’t go on the mantelpiece at home.”
Fastest round trip
August: Stuart Lancaster hails Sam Burgess’s code-crossing journey from South Sydney Rabbitohs to rugby union World Cup key player. “Sam brings physicality, speed, he’s powerful, he reads defences well, he’s an aggressive tackler. Is it a risk? I wouldn’t say so. I think it’s exciting.” October: Burgess linked with South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The least dynamic panel
England’s post-mortem RFU review panel – 80% made up of people called Ian, including chief executive Ian Ritchie, who was responsible for handing Stuart Lancaster a six-year deal. Sir Clive Woodward: “Ritchie shouldn’t be anywhere near it. I’m staggered.”
Worst makeover
Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium – given a no-frills one-off rebrand as ****** Stadium to keep the official paid-up tournament sponsors on side. Pre-match entertainment organisers at the ****** tried to coax fans at England v Uruguay into a rousing warm-up rendition of Wonderwall. They failed.
Sharpest climbdown
Alesana Tuilagi was given a five-week ban for running into an opponent – technically a key part of the game. Outrage on social media and a #freealesana campaign preceded a successful appeal. The ban was cut to two weeks.
Best security
The All Blacks took no chances: erecting a 4m high security fence around their first base at Teddington, to keep their training routines private. Even the Berlin Wall was only 3.6m.
Least close derby match
Argentina v Ireland. “These games are like el clásico,” reckoned Juan Martín Hernández pre-match. “They are derbies. For us Ireland has become a nice challenge. A great derby.”
Artiest art installation
Was at 12th century Cardiff Castle, with its wall-busting rugby ball – featuring a fibreglass shell and pretend foam bricks.
Best muppet-related row
During Fiji’s defeat by England ITV commentator Nick Mullins said: “In the smaller villages [in Fiji], they will all be gathering around the one TV, the one satellite dish, hoping the generator doesn’t let them down.” Fiji’s Nemani Nadolo joined the social media storm post-match: “There’s more than one TV in Fiji mate and power is running just fine. Nick Mullins disappointing call mate #muppetcall.” ITV then pointed out that Mullins had been quoting Fiji coach John McKee’s pre-match comment that: “For the people back home, they are mad about rugby … everyone is glued to TVs in the cities. In the villages maybe they have got together and got one TV and a generator and a satellite dish to pick up TV.” And then everyone made up and got on with their lives.
Most distressed
Experiencing a new level of agitation last month: a generation of rugby fans trying out ITV Player for the first time – and finding out they couldn’t fast-forward to the best bits without watching all the adverts first. The regularity of adverts on old-fashioned TV put the wind up people, too. @Jules_John: “Dear ITV, I wish to complain that your adverts are being spoilt by the coverage of the rugby.”
Biggest letdown
Online efforts to have Paloma Faith’s unique take on World in Union dropped by ITV came to nothing. She wailed her way to the bitter end. The petition ended up with 10,425 signatures.
Unanswered question
The orangutan in the ad breaks. No, us neither.
Most overshadowed
John Key, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, pictured meeting 6’8” All Black Sam Whitelock. Tried to look prime ministerial; actually looked like an eight-year-old mascot. Also in the shade: all the interviewees who had to stand next to ITV’s Martin Bayfield; and the Republic of Ireland’s 5’4” president, Michael D Higgins, peaking over the row in front to inspire his men against Argentina.
Best revenge
An unnamed Croydon council traffic warden, pictured in September giving the France team bus a ticket, hours after players criticised the town. French paper MetroNews called Croydon “sad”, “monotonous” and “dull”.
Most emotional
Romania’s Florin Surugiu – burst into tears after his side’s historic comeback win over Canada, then did it again after proposing to his girlfriend on the pitch following his side’s defeat by Ireland. She said yes.
Best archive moment
To celebrate Matt Giteau’s 100th Test, Australia’s social media team embarrassed him with archive footage of a 2002 trip to Buckingham Palace where he met the Queen. Giteau, aged 20 but looking about 12, told the camera how the Queen had asked him why he was holding the team’s fluffy kangaroo mascot when he met her. “Ah, basically I just told her the truth. I’ve got to carry it around because I’m the youngest. She accepted it.”
Best commentary moment
Japan’s J Sports’ live commentator Takeshi Yano, describing the thunderous closing moments of their win over South Africa. “Tatekawa … long pass … Amanaki … Lelei … Mafi … and Hesketh! Yes! Yes! Yes! Th ey’ve done it! Japan have won! Incredible! Oh … incredible! People of the world – THIS is the Japan national team! What do you think about us now?”
Most lost in translation
An unnamed French journalist trying to ask New Zealand’s Waisake Naholo if nerves caused him to drop the ball in training. Journalist: “You failing balls?” Naholo: “What’s that?” Journalist: “You have failing balls?” Naholo: “Ummm, no.” Steve Hansen stepped in.
Best cameos
Diego Maradona put together the tournament’s best team-talk/dance routine combo in Argentina’s dressing room; Wales fan David Hasselhoff turned up at Twickenham and sparked a world of “Boyowatch” gags; England fan Samuel L Jackson kept the faith online (“Tough but epic game, @ChrisRobshaw. Still all to play for against Oz”); and Chuck Norris gifted his essence to the Wallabies: “They’re gonna have the power of Chuck Norris’ spirit to help them win. It’s rugged. I like rugged stuff .” Players took their chances to meet their heroes, too – David Pocock offering David Attenborough a free ticket for the final: “I’m a big fan of wildlife docos. David’s a big hero of mine.”
And the biggest reality check
London 2012’s opening video skit had The Queen dressed as The Queen meeting James Bond and sky diving. The Rugby World Cup had Prince Harry dressed as a gardener.
Bravest fashion
We say this every World Cup, but the South Africans are impressively unstinting in their efforts to make a green and yellow blazer work.
Most valiant effort
Namibia honoured Johnny Redelinghuys in his 50th and final Test by giving the 17-stone prop a chance to kick their last points of the World Cup. Way out of his comfort zone, Redelinghuys stepped up for the 82nd-minute conversion attempt, did a decent Jonny Wilkinson hands-clenched pose, then hit the post – about a foot off the ground.
Least welcome intervention
Henry VIII – upsetting Wales players by haunting them at the team hotel in Weybridge. Samson Lee: “A few boys think they’ve seen a ghost here but I’m not sure they actually have. Some of them reckon they have seen Henry VIII. It has been discussed over food and stuff like that and Dan Lydiate isn’t happy. He actually thinks he’s seen it. I think he’s dreaming.”
Most relaxed pundit
Former Ireland hooker Shane Byrne, pundit at South Africa v Wales for Ireland’s TV3, thinking out loud post match – not realising they were back on air after a break. Host Tommy Martin: “If a Martian arrived on Earth and asked about rugby, would you just show them that game?” SB: “Depends, is the Martian good looking?” TM, laughing nervously: “I’ve never seen a Martian … what’s your point?” SB: “Th e point is, I’d love a pint.”
And the most measured protest
An unnamed Twickenham resident, talking to the Richmond & Twickenham Times in September about the need for more temporary toilets after she caught a fan weeing in her garden. “I couldn’t believe it – I opened the window and shouted: ‘Oi, put that penis away.’ In my work as a nurse, I have dealt with a lot of penises over the years and I have no problem with them or with rugby. But it is disgusting on personal property.”
