KEY POINTS:
PARIS - Captain Phil Vickery did not look for excuses after England's rollercoaster World Cup ride ended with a 15-6 defeat by South Africa at the Stade de France on Sunday (NZ time).
"South Africa thoroughly deserved their victory," prop Vickery, who was substituted at halftime of a
ferocious, tryless battle on a crisp evening on the outskirts of Paris, told a news conference.
"You can talk about decisions or whatever but we were not clinical enough," he added.
England were denied a try early in the second half after the television match official ruled wing Mark Cueto had a foot in touch when the dived over in the corner.
The 2003 champions, looking to become the first team to retain the trophy, also lost a number of players to injury during the game, notably dynamic fullback Jason Robinson and veteran centre Mike Catt.
"Crucial decisions not just from players but also from officials played a role but there are things you can't control on the field," said Vickery, whose side had staged a remarkable recovery in the tournament after being hammered 36-0 by the Springboks in a pool game.
"We firmly believed going into the match that we had a pretty good chance of winning it," England coach Brian Ashton said at the end of a tight contest dominated by kicking.
"Congratulations to South Africa who were the best side over the whole tournament," Ashton added. "This World Cup has been a fantastic adventure for us in many ways. I'm extremely proud of my players."
South Africa, who lifted the World Cup at home in 1995, join Australia as the only country to win it twice.
"There were things we did not execute well enough and we were unlucky on some occasions but I don't think 15-6 on the scoreboard reflects the game," Ashton said. "However, you can't argue with the scoreboard."
Asked whether the issue might have changed had Cueto's try been allowed, Ashton replied: "You never know, do you?"
"The future looks very positive for English rugby", added Ashton, whose team came back from the dead to make it to the game that matters, knocking out Australia and France along the way. "We have very promising young players coming through."
The England coach said he did not know whether he would stay at the helm of the team.
"I've no idea what my future is," he said. "My immediate future is to sit with the lads and try to put a smile back on our faces."
- REUTERS
