KEY POINTS:
Best team
Award decided tomorrow. In this tournament the best is the winner.
Most disappointing
Samoa, who now have to qualify for the next tournament.
Best games
Argentina upsetting France in the opener, Japan drawing with Canada in injury time, Tonga almost pipping South Africa, the same for Georgia and Ireland. But the ultimate exhilaration, Fiji 38, Wales 34.
Worst games
All Blacks and Scotland because Frank Hadden played his B side, the huge error rate and it was played outside France, and the letdown of England 0, Springboks 36.
Best coaches
Marcelo Loffreda (Argentina) and Quddus Fielea (Tonga) for showing how to make the best of limited preparation and resources and a strong strategy.
Most improved forward
Finau Maka (Tonga).
Most improved back
Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina).
Most exciting individual
Bryan Habana.
Best tries
Any from Habana, or Takudzwa Ngwenya (USA) when he skinned Habana on the outside in an extraordinary show of speed.
Best team try
Kosuko Endo (Japan v Wales) when he finished a 95m move which began when Wales turned over possession and Japan swept out of defence.
Best kicker
Chris Paterson (Scotland) did not miss with any of his 17 tournament kicks, mocking the complaints about the match balls.
Best comeback
Jason Robinson (England) after a hamstring injury appeared to have ended his return to rugby.
Best crash
Schalk Burger (South Africa) and Henry Tuilagi (Samoa) meeting in a juddering midfield collision. Both got up, somehow.
Saddest end
Brian Lima (Samoa) made an extraordinary fifth tournament appearance but concussed himself then banned in last game for a dangerous high tackle.
Best anthem
Portugal or Argentina - the sight of frontrowers blubbing was all too much.
Worst efforts
The huge letdown of games in Edinburgh and Cardiff, the All Blacks twin episodes of the jersey fiasco and the goose who refused to allow Tongan players to dye their hair green.
Biggest upset
France 20, All Blacks 18. Enough said. Poor effort against a modest French side, one which was not a patch on the 1999 version.
Best all black moments
Opening 20 minutes against Italy was ruthless, all downhill from there.
Biggest almost
Georgia pressing for the last quarter to beat Ireland. It was oh so close and showed how far Ireland had fallen.
Best referee
Like the IRB, still completing the assessment. Very mixed offerings, just like the quality of the rugby. Alain Rolland probably deserves the final.
Kiwi winners
Those who holidayed in France and those who sold their playoff tickets to England supporters for a considerable profit.
Best French venue
Marseille or Lyon, vibrant, hot days, afternoon kickoffs, festival atmosphere because there was scarcely any decent footy.
Best aspects of France
Clockwork train travel, warm weather, enthusiastic interactive crowds, coffee, wine, duck, the sights, support for New Zealand.WORST ASPECTS 9pm kickoffs, hotel cells and stubborn plumbing, media briefings cancelled at late notice, frustratingly complicated ticket systems, queues, games outside France, "minnows" getting less rest between matches.
Surreal acts
England surviving, Wales firing coach Gareth Jenkins the morning after defeat to Fiji.
Cruellest jokes
Graham Henry is handed a mobile phone and is told it belongs to Wayne Barnes. "How do you know," Henry inquires. The reply is: "It had 15 missed calls."
Q: What do you do for a drowning New Zealand rugby player?
A: Nothing. You could drag him to the top, but he'll choke anyway.
Or: Oxo have produced a new cube in honour of the Irish, called Laughing Stick.
Best true story
The Welsh found a mobile phone left behind by a journalist and texted his wife to say he was "coming out" after the tournament and then switched the language setting to Turkish.
