2003
New Zealand and world No.1 England were expected to fight it out for the title but Australia upset the apple cart and went within seconds of forcing the title to be decided by kicks for goal.

Twenty teams contested the event again but this time they were separated into four groups of five rather than the other way around, doing away with the need for the playoff round to decide the final quarter-final berths.

With the Wallabies setting a new tournament record winning margin in their 142-0 win over Namibia, they went unbeaten in Pool A, the last of their victories a 17-16 defeat of Ireland. The Irish still advanced after also belting Romania and Namibia and prevailing 16-15 in Adelaide against Argentina.

France and Scotland advanced from Pool B, the French surprisingly having their toughest outing against Japan - winning 51-29 - as they thumped the Scots 51-9. Scotland had already beaten Japan and the United States and recovered to beat Fiji 22-20 in the final Pool game in Sydney to stumble through.

Pool C contained heavyweights England and South Africa and they duly progressed. The English won all four of their matches, including a 25-6 defeat of the Springboks, a tougher than expected 35-22 victory over Samoa and a 111-13 annihilation of Uruguay. The Boks spanked Uruguay and then rallied from the loss to England to also easily get past Georgia and Samoa.

New Zealand thrashed Italy 70-7 at Melbourne's Telstra Dome to open hostilities in Pool D, and also comfortably saw off Canada and Tonga, while Wales had no trouble defeating the Canadians but battled past the Tongans and Italians. That set up a Pool D decider between the two strongest performers and, while the Welsh put up a fight, the All Blacks prevailed 53-37 in Sydney.

Wales then gave England a monumental quarter-final fright in Brisbane, leading impressively at half-time before substitute Mike Catt inspired a fightback and subsequent 28-17 win, while the other three games also went to form, with New Zealand beating South Africa, Australia seeing off Scotland and France knocking out Ireland.

The prospect of an England v New Zealand final was gathering momentum, but that theory went out of the window when a Stirling Mortlock interception try helped Australia down the All Blacks before England's forwards mauled France in pouring rain at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.

The All Blacks took their disappointment out on the French in the third-place playoff, scoring six tries - including three in five minutes after half-time - to race away to a 40-13 victory that left their fans lamenting what might have been.

The final proved a nail-biting affair, and it was no surprise when the game moved into extra-time as both sides fought to a standstill. But with just seconds remaining, England five-eighth Jonny Wilkinson dropped a match-winning goal, giving English rugby its greatest moment.

Competing countries: Australia, Argentina, Ireland, Romania, Namibia, France, Scotland, Fiji, USA, Japan, England, South Africa, Samoa, Uruguay, Georgia, New Zealand, Wales, Italy, Canada, Tonga.