Tokyo (AFP)
New Zealand, crowned in 1987, 2011 and 2015, Australia (1991 and 1999), South Africa (1995 and 2007): the nations of the southern hemisphere have pocketed 7 of the 8 titles already in play , and only England (2003) has been invited to the very closed circle of winners of the Rugby World Cup.
. 1987 (New Zealand and Australia): the All Blacks, first on the list
Final: in Auckland, New Zealand beats France 29-9
Third place match: Rotorua, Wales beats Australia 22-21
Australia and New Zealand are joining forces to organize this first edition, which brings together for a month 16 teams automatically qualified or invited. South Africa, then boycotted by other nations because of its apartheid policy, is the only one missing from the mark.
The XV of France, who made the Grand Slam in the Five Nations Tournament in the spring, creates the sensation in the semifinal by dominating Australia (30-24) in Sydney thanks to a test of Serge Blanco corner to the ultimate minute.
In the final, the men of Jacques Fouroux do not resist long however the All Blacks (29-9), worn by the boot of the opener Grant Fox, author in total of 126 points (record on a World Cup), and who Wales (49-6) went into the semi-finals.
In front of his audience, at Auckland's Eden Park, New Zealand captain David Kirk is the first to hold the Webb-Ellis trophy, presented by the president of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and a great creator of creation. of the competition, the French Albert Ferrasse.
. 1991 (France and Great Britain): first title of Australia
Final: in Twickenham, Australia beats England 12-6
Match for 3rd place: in Cardiff, New Zealand beats Scotland 13-6
The World Cup, for the first time organized in the Northern Hemisphere, spawns a second nation of the South: Australia, driven by the golden generation of Farr-Jones, Lynagh, Little, Horan and other Campese.
The Wallabies, however, failed to stop in the quarterfinals and owe their success (19-18) against Ireland that a last minute test of David Campese, great man of the Tournament.
After eliminating the New Zealand title-holder in the semi-finals, they find in the final England, who eliminated France after a heated quarterfinal (19-10) at the Parc des Princes in Paris, after which the French back Serge Blanco draws its international reverence. In the semifinal, the XV at the Rose dominates painfully Scotland in Murrayfield (9-6).
In the final, despite the support of his supporters in Twickenham, England suffered the law of Australia after a closed match (12-6).
. 1995 (South Africa): Springboks under Nelson Mandela's eye
Final: in Johannesburg, South Africa beats New Zealand 15-12 ap
Match for 3rd place: in Pretoria, France beats England 19-9
South Africa is organizing and winning the World Cup, which it is also participating in for the first time, four years after the end of apartheid in 1991.
President Nelson Mandela, elected in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison, presents the trophy to South African captain François Pienaar; a symbolic image of his desire to reconcile the communities of the rainbow nation.
In the final, the Boks dominate the New Zealand favorites, led by the first global star of a rugby that will become professional in the following weeks: the winger Jonah Lomu, author of four tries in the semifinal against England (45-29).
They take advantage of the surprising form of the All Blacks, who complained of stomachaches, to win through a drop from their opener Joel Stransky during extra time (15-12).
The South Africans have already narrowly passed the semi-finals against France (19-15) under the torrential rain in Durban. The meeting began with an hour and a half late after housewives with scrapers tried to drain the land. The French will remember for a long time the test refused to Abdelatif Benazzi who had flattened a few inches from the line.
They console themselves a little by beating England (19-9) in the match for the 3rd place: a first against the XV in the pink since 1988.
This edition is also marked by the injury of the Ivorian Max Brito, handicapped for life after a cervical trauma against Tonga.
. 1999 (Great Britain, Ireland and France): Australia sees double
Final: in Cardiff, Australia beats France 35-12
Match for 3rd place: in Cardiff, South Africa beats New Zealand 22-18
Australia is the first country to win for the second time the Webb-Ellis Cup, dominating the final in France in Cardiff (35-12).
The captain of the Wallabies, the 2nd line John Eales, like centers Tim Horan, titular, and Jason Little, replacing in the final, take their second world title in this first edition to 20 teams.
The team coached by Rod McQueen relies on a very scientific game and an iron defense: a single try conceded against the United States in six games. In semi-finals, this hermeticism allows the Wallabies to resist the defending champion, South Africa, finally dominated (27-21) after extra time.
However, it is the other semifinal that marks the spirits. The XV of France, sluggish in the group stage, won the general surprise (43-31) against the All Blacks, once again arrived with a suit of favorites too wide for them.
Led 24-10 in the 45th minute, having conceded including two tests of the bulldozer Lomu, the French raise the head thanks to Christophe Lamaison, in a day of grace. The opener scored 28 points, including one of four French tries. Twickenham even sings La Marseillaise!
Another exploit: in the quarter-finals, South African opener Jannie De Beer crucified the English by scoring five drops at the Stade de France (44-21).
. 2003 (Australia): England on behalf of the North
Final: in Sydney, England beats Australia 20-17 ap
Third place match: in Sydney, New Zealand beats France 40-13
The Wallabies are looking for a third home crown, having once again destroyed the hopes of the eternal favorites New Zealand (22-10) in the semifinals.
This is without counting on the diabolical precision of the opener Jonny Wilkinson, which offers England and its iron pack its first world title by registering a decisive drop of his bad foot, the right, during the extension of the final (20-17).
"Wilko", already executioner in the previous round of France (24-7) drowned under the rain curtain of Sydney after being irresistible in the quarterfinals against Ireland (43-21), receives the medal of Member of the British Empire (MBE) as Captain Martin Johnson.
. 2007 (France, Wales, Scotland): Realism of South Africa
Final: at the Stade de France, South Africa beats England 15 to 6
Match for 3rd place: in Paris, Argentina defeated France 34 to 10
South Africa has joined Australia as a crowned nation twice after breaking (15-6) England after a locked final.
The South Africans, winger Bryan Habana, best scorer of the competition (8 tries) and their back Percy Montgomery, best director (105 pts), had already defeated the XV of the Rose in pools (36-0) before mastering Fiji (37-20) in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semi-finals (37-13).
The Pumas, great revelation of this sixth edition, finish third after having inflicted a second humiliation (34-10) to France, already beaten (19-12) in the opening match. The French miss "their" World by failing again in the semifinal against England, victorious at the Stade de France (14-9).
They finish fourth not without having maintained the legend and opened a royal way to the South Africans by eliminating New Zealand (20-18) in the quarterfinals in Cardiff.
. 2011 (New Zealand): Rescue for the All Blacks
Final: at Eden Park Auckland, New Zealand beats France 8-7
Match for 3rd place: in Auckland, Australia beats Wales 21-18
They were long these last minutes ... A whole country behind his All Blacks, clinging to their little point in front of France, finally beaten (8-7) at the end of an unbearable final.
A new defeat would have plunged New Zealand into an abyss of despair, so long was the wait to conquer a second title, 24 years after the first, already at home.
In fact, the final minutes of the final was the only moment of fear for the All Blacks, hegemonic in pools (60 points of average per game against Tonga, Japan, Canada and ... France), and ultra -dominators in quarterfinals (Argentina 33-10) then semi-finals (Australia 20-6).
Meanwhile, the French accumulate difficulties, including two defeats in the first phase, including an infamous against Tonga (19-14). But a combination of circumstances - including the victory of Ireland over Australia - offers the Blues a clear picture in the finals. Two victories later, against the ghostly English (19-12) and Welsh quickly reduced to 14 (9-8), the French open the door of the final under the lazzis of the local press.
Promised for demolition, the XV of France finally fails to a point. French rugby still stigmatizes South African referee Craig Joubert guilty, in his eyes, of not having dared to penalize the All Blacks late in the game not to despair a country.
. 2015 (England): The All Blacks bend and triple
Final at Twickenham: New Zealand beats Australia 34-17
Match for 3rd place in London: South Africa bat Argentina 24 to 13
This World Cup opens with an earthquake, with the astounding success of Japan on South Africa, "the miracle of Brighton" (34-32). This defeat precipitates a deep questioning among the Boks, who get up before completing their race in the semifinals against the All Blacks, narrow winners (20-18).
Paradoxically, the Boks are the only ones to challenge the supremacy of the New Zealander, hegemonic since their 2011 title (42 wins, two draws and three defeats).
They polish their game during the hen phase particularly well-off (Argentina, Namibia, Georgia, Tonga). Before destroying France (62-13, record for a playoff match) in the quarterfinals. The South African fright passed, they swallow Australia (34-17) in the final, and stack two records: the All Blacks win a third title and become the first team able to retain its title.
This world has dedicated the English organization (records in terms of income and attendance in stadiums). And this despite the premature elimination of the XV of the Rose, great absent of the quarter-finals.
© 2019 AFP