Jonny Wilkinson booted 14 drop goals in his World Cup career, but most of us only remember one – and it will forever haunt Australian supporters.
The 2003 tournament, Wilkinson’s second, was the fly-half’s coming of age. He landed eight drop goals that year (seven more than any other player), including three in one match against France.
In the final against the Wallabies he steadied English nerves with two penalties before he set up Jason Robinson for a try just before half-time.
Despite missing drop goals which would have won England the match before full-time, Wilkinson kept his concentration in extra-time and landed the clincher on his non-preferred right foot to deliver England their first William Web Ellis trophy.
Wallabies fly-half Stephen Larkham, who knew what it was like to kick a sensational drop goal to win a match, looked back on the moment with fondness rather than disappointment when speaking with Total Rugby.
“It was one of the greatest finals to be a part of. You want a teetering, see-sawing match where it comes down to the last minute of the game,” Larkham said.
Plagued by injuries after 2003, Wilkinson continued to contribute for England where he could on his limited match time. He announced his retirement from international rugby after the 2011 World Cup.
As well as the drop goal record, he is the World Cup’s leading points scorer with 277 in 19 matches.
The Roar’s World Cup Countdown:
30. Grant Fox’s record 30 conversions from the 1987 World Cup
29. All Blacks claim the 1987 World Cup, 29-9
28. Tonga stun Italy with Sateki Tuipulotu’s boot, winning 28-25
27. 27 per cent of tries came from scrums in 2003 with Canada showing the value of the set piece
26. David Pocock made 26 tackles in a fantastic performance against South Africa in the 2011 quarter-finals
25. South Africa’s 25 wins from 29 matches at the World Cup
24. Wales scores 24 points in the first half against New Zealand but still lose in 2003
23. Nick Farr-Jones 23 wins as Australian captain including an historic 1991 World Cup win against England
22. The Wallabies notch a cricket score with 22 tries in a 142-0 thumping of Namibia in 2003
21. Georgia’s David Dadunashvili becomes the youngest (21) to start at hooker in a World Cup match
20. The first World Cup classic finishes 20-all between Scotland and France in 1987
19. 19-year-old George North becomes youngest World Cup try scorer in 2011
18. Since their first and only win Japan has gone 18-straight World Cup games without victory
17. New Zealand coaching staff present 17 alleged refereeing errors to explain 2007 loss
16. George Gregan and Jason Leonard involved in 16 wins each at World Cup level
15. Jonah Lomu’s 15 tries in 11 matches
14. Jonny Wilkinson’s 14 World Cup drop goals including his most famous one in England’s 20-17 win over the Wallabies
13. Philippe Sella’s fantastic career at No.13 with 13 starts for France at Rugby World Cups
12. The Wallabies record 12-game winning streak from 1999 to 2003
11. Fiji win 11 out of 11 lineouts against Wales during a stunning 38-34 win in 2007
10. David Campese’s 10 tries for the Wallabies at Rugby World Cups
9. Matt Burke’s 9 points per game average after an amazing 1999 tournament
8. Diego Ormaechea, at age 40, was the oldest number 8 to play at a World Cup
7. No.7 Michael Jones scores the first ever World Cup try
6. Marc Ellis’ record six tries in a match against Japan
5. Jannie de Beer’s five drop goals in a match against England in the 1999 quarter-finals
4. Michael Lynagh’s four tries in World Cup matches including his match-winner against Ireland
3. Cardiff has hosted World Cup matches for three tournaments and will make it a record four in 2015
2. Christophe Lamaison’s two drop goals in semi-final blinder
1. The Webb Ellis Cup.
DCR
Guest
Fourteen days to go. Not long really. It is a bit dull with only mild and limited relief from other footy codes and replays of the trials and the 2015 six nations to fill in the time. There are realistically seven sides who can win it; Australia, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales. Only four of those nations have won it. One will be kicked out of Pool A leaving only six in the quarters. The prize for surviving pool A especially winning it is almost a ticket to the final. Only RSA or the other pool A side will be standing in your way. The best result for the Wallabies is for England to fail to qualify. But that is hard to see happening. I think they will beat Wales on Sept 26. If the six nations is anything to go by England will start the tournament well and should have too much skill across the park for Wales. But if Wales have fixed their scrum then it will be very, very, Leigh Halfpenny close. If England beat Wales they will be loose and up for the Wallabies game. If on the other hand Wales upset them well the pressure on England and the whole RWC for England to win against the Wallabies will be intense. So September 26 will be hugely influential on the whole tournament. The trick to beating England is to start very well and unsettle them, contain their scrum and rolling maul and to not let up. They are very fit and tend to finish games on top. They have speed on the wings and a very clever fullback. They will win most penalty counts since they are at home. Anyone up against them will find it very difficult to beat them, especially when they surge with the huge home support they get. They are one tough opponent and at home could easily win it. They may just lack consistency of intensity and top shelf spontaneous skill. The Wallabies are really almost a completely unknown package. We played well against the ABs in Sydney and pathetically in Auckland. Last years end of season tour gives not much to go by. Playing England after Wales is a huge plus because England does tire through tournaments. We'll just have to wait and see. I hope we play like the tahs of 2014 with a stronger lineout and scrum. If our set piece stands up and we don’t leak penalties especially against Wales we should get through. I just can’t see us beating England in a semi at Twickenham. Wales don't have much depth and are a blunt weapon. They rely on Halfpenny, and a limited game. They are well drilled and defend well. But it is hard to see them beating England and the Wallabies. I just don't think their opponents are going to leak the penalties for them that they need to win, especially since they are playing away from home. It is hard to see RSA getting past the quarter finals. I think whoever they meet from Pool A will beat them and set up a semi between the two survivors of Pool A. Ireland have a tough draw. They have to beat France twice or France and the ABs to get to the final. Some of their patterns of play are like the Waratahs, with one exception, they usually lack the penetration in the backs and end up kicking. They will need a fair helping of Irish luck to beat both France and the ABs. I just cannot see them beating either, but they are a rugged bunch right across the park. They just lack a sharp edge and composure. I expect they will play the ABs in a quarter final and I think they will worry them. The ABs are not the dominant force they once were. Their backs are brilliant and easily the best in the world and have been most of the time since 1994. But their forwards are not stand outs, with the exception of McCaw. He will be marked very closely. They will rely on their counterattacking. They will be hard to beat but they are not the force they have been for the last ten years. When they meet France they will have a very torrid game on their hands and no home ground advantage to help. I think France will beat them this time especially if France play like they did in the 2011 final. So that leaves France. If ever a nation deserves to win a World Cup it is France. They were simply fantastic in the 2011 final. It is ridiculous that no team has tried to play the same way since. They have knocked out the ABs twice and faced them twice in a final, both times in New Zealand. How they lost to RSA in 1995 is still a mystery. Yet they have had some luck as well, ask any Kiwi. Do they ever forget anything that goes against them? The trials suggest they have a monster scrum. They usually have a good lineout. Can they put it together? Finally, a word on the last people on the field; the referees. The best that can happen is the southern hemisphere referees get sent home. As strange as it seems the best referees by a country mile are the northern hemisphere refs and they have been for years. They are much more composed, far less pedantic, much more consistent, more forgiving of the vagaries of scrums (Poite may be one exception), and far and away less demonstrative. If they just let the game flow and limit their pedantry it promises to be a fantastic tournament. My pick is an England v France final and France to win by a drop goal. Not long now to see how wrong I’ll be.
Jarijari
Guest
It would be good to have a Wallaby who could kick just one drop goal from a distance. Maybe Kurtley, we'll see.