The knockout stage of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 6 October with a quarter-final between Australia and England and concluded on 20 October with the final, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, between England and South Africa, their second meeting in this tournament.
South Africa were the first team to qualify for the knockout stage, when they beat Tonga 30–25 in their penultimate Pool A game.
This was the first Rugby World Cup tournament to have its semi-finalists coming from only two pools (Pools A and D), and the finalists coming from just one pool (Pool A). The top two representative nations of each of pools B and C were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Summary edit
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 6 October – Marseille | ||||||||||
 Australia | 10 | |||||||||
| 13 October – Saint-Denis | ||||||||||
 England | 12 | |||||||||
| England | 14 | |||||||||
| 6 October – Cardiff | ||||||||||
 France | 9 | |||||||||
 New Zealand | 18 | |||||||||
| 20 October – Saint-Denis | ||||||||||
| France | 20 | |||||||||
| England | 6 | |||||||||
| 7 October – Marseille | ||||||||||
 South Africa | 15 | |||||||||
| South Africa | 37 | |||||||||
| 14 October – Saint-Denis | ||||||||||
 Fiji | 20 | |||||||||
| South Africa | 37 | |||||||||
| 7 October – Saint-Denis | ||||||||||
 Argentina | 13 | Third place | ||||||||
| Argentina | 19 | |||||||||
| 19 October – Paris | ||||||||||
 Scotland | 13 | |||||||||
| France | 10 | |||||||||
| Argentina | 34 | |||||||||
Quarter-finals edit
Australia vs England edit
| 6 October 2007 15:00 |
| Australia | 10–12 | England |
| Try: Tuqiri 33' c Con: Mortlock (1/1) Pen: Mortlock (1/4) 7' | Report | Pen: Wilkinson (4/7) 23', 26', 52', 60' |
| Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 59,102 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
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Notes
- This was England's third consecutive World Cup win against Australia, following victories in the 1995 quarter-final and 2003 Final, and gave them a 3-2 head-to-head winning World Cup record against the Wallabies. Furthermore, England remained the only team to record a Rugby World Cup win over the Wallabies since South Africa beat them in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup.
- Jonny Wilkinson's 12 points in this game took him past Gavin Hastings' record of 227 World Cup points.
New Zealand vs France edit
| 6 October 2007 21:00 |
| New Zealand | 18–20 | France |
| Try: McAlister 17' c So'oialo 63' m Con: Carter (1/1) Pen: Carter (2/2) 14', 31' | Report | Try: Dusautoir 54' c Jauzion 69' c Con: Beauxis (1/1) Élissalde (1/1) Pen: Beauxis (2/3) 40+', 46' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,669 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
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- This was New Zealand's worst World Cup finish; they had never before failed to reach the semi-finals.[citation needed]
South Africa vs Fiji edit
| 7 October 2007 15:00 |
| South Africa | 37–20 | Fiji |
| Try: Fourie 13' m Smit 35' m Pietersen 51' c Smith 70' c James 80' c Con: Montgomery (3/5) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 8' Montgomery (1/2) 63' | Report | Try: Delasau 57' c Bobo 59' c Con: Bai (2/2) Pen: Bai (2/2) 26', 44' |
| Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 55,943 Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland) |
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- This was Fiji's first quarter-final appearance since the inaugural competition in 1987.
Argentina vs Scotland edit
| 7 October 2007 21:00 |
| Argentina | 19–13 | Scotland |
| Try: Longo Elía 33' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (3/4) 23', 29', 43' Drop: Hernández (1/4) 54' | Report | Try: Cusiter 63' c Con: Paterson (1/1) Pen: Parks (1/2) 16' Paterson (1/1) 38' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 76,866 Referee: Joël Jutge (France) |
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- Argentina's win took them into their first ever World Cup semi-final. Scotland had been seeking to reach their second semi-final, after a fourth-place finish in 1991.
Semi-finals edit
England vs France edit
| 13 October 2007 21:00 |
| England | 14–9 | France |
| Try: Lewsey 2' m Pen: Wilkinson (2/3) 47', 75' Drop: Wilkinson (1/4) 78' | Report | Pen: Beauxis (3/3) 8', 18', 44' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 80,283 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa) |
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Notes
- Josh Lewsey's try, scored after 79 seconds, was the fastest in any match in the knockout stage of a Rugby World Cup and is thought to be the fastest try in England's history.[citation needed]
- Jonny Wilkinson extended his World Cup points record to 243.
South Africa vs Argentina edit
| 14 October 2007 21:00 |
| South Africa | 37–13 | Argentina |
| Try: Du Preez 7' c Habana (2) 32' c, 76' c Rossouw 40' c Con: Montgomery (4/4) Pen: Montgomery (3/3) 17', 71', 75' | Report | Try: M. Contepomi 45' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (2/4) 15', 30' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 77,055 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand) |
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- With his second try in this match, Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu's single-tournament record of eight tries.[citation needed]
Bronze final: France vs Argentina edit
| 19 October 2007 21:00 |
| France | 10–34 | Argentina |
| Try: Poitrenaud 69' c Con: Beauxis (1/1) Pen: Élissalde (1/1) 18' | Report | Try: F. Contepomi (2) 28' c, 77' c Hasan 32' c Martín Aramburú 53' m Corleto 65' m Con: F. Contepomi (3/5) Pen: F. Contepomi (1/1) 21' |
| Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 45,958 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand) |
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| External videos | |
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 Rugby World Cup 2007: Third Place Playoff – France v Argentina on YouTube |
Notes
- This was referee Paul Honiss's 45th test, breaking the record he had previously shared with Derek Bevan of Wales.[1] This record would be surpassed by Jonathan Kaplan in 2008.
- French centre David Marty played outside centre despite wearing the #12, David Skrela played inside centre with the #13.
- This was the first occasion in Rugby World Cup history where two teams who had played each other in the pool stage met each other later on in the same tournament.
Final: England vs South Africa edit
| 20 October 2007 21:00 |
| England | 6–15 | South Africa |
| Pen: Wilkinson (2/2) 13', 44' | Report | Pen: Montgomery (4/4) 7', 16', 40', 51' Steyn (1/2) 62' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 80,430 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
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Notes
- Jonny Wilkinson's six points in this game made him the leading points scorer in World Cups with 249 points.
- Percy Montgomery finished as the tournament's leading points scorer, with 105 points.
- This was the second occasion in Rugby World Cup history where two teams who had played each other in the pool stage met each other later on in the same tournament, and the first time it had happened in the final.
References edit
- ^ "Referee Honiss set to break world record". Rugby World Cup. 19 October 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.