French flair and Springbok strength

The 2007 tournament was staged with flair by France, but despite expectant home support France failed to reach the final at the Stade de France. Wales averaged 42 points per game in
the pool stages but this still wasn’t enough to reach the quarter-finals.

After a stuttering start it was the defending champions England who met the ever-physical South Africans in the Parisian finale. But the Springboks proved too strong for England and captured their second World Cup. Total attendance had increased to over 2.5 million.