The All Blacks had to endure the closest final in history in order to get their hands on the William Webb Ellis Cup, and a report has now revealed the tournament as a whole was the most competitive ever.
When Richie McCaw lifted the trophy following the 8-7 nailbiter against France at Eden Park in late October it was the culmination of a month and a half of rugby in which the "Tier 2'' nations closed the gap on their "Tier 1'' counterparts, in spite of being given less chance to recover, in a schedule devised by the International Rugby Board.
Now the IRB is celebrating the performances of nations such as Tonga and Samoa, who severely tested the big guns and, in the former's case, beat defeated finalists France in their pool match.
A report released today (Wed) by the IRB, which is described as the "most detailed rugby World Cup statistical analysis ever'', shows how the game has evolved since the 1995 World Cup won by hosts South Africa, and states:
- Winning margins in the opening pool matches between Tier 1 and Tier 2 halved, reflecting the improved performances of Tier 2 teams since France 2007 with Tier 1 teams no longer pulling away from Tier 2 opposition in the final 20 minutes of a match as frequently as in the past.
