My lasting impression of the final will be the sight of Victor Matfield. Soaring to deny England a decent supply of line out ball (arguably, the reason why they never looked like a team that was going to get a stranglehold on the game), making a remarkable cover tackle on Tait (where did he come from ?), or pinning England back in to their 22 with a deft kick ahead late in the game. The man was everywhere.
South Africa won it all because they had specialists who could do it all. Proper stuff it up the jumper forwards who could also handle the ball, backs who could attack from deep at turnovers, but were happy to do the donkey work by making the hard yards when the game demanded it.
The adaptability was key. They attacked with the best, but when it got ugly, they had the grind and kick game to out grind and out kick England.
The competetion exposed those teams who couldn't adapt. Of the favourites, the Kiwis will know that their defeat was a case of "any given Sunday", and the sour grapes brigade will point an accusing finger at Wayne Barnes, but allowing for their lack of serious match practice leading up to that epic game in Cardiff, they failed to adapt to what Laporte's men threw at them. Likewise, the Australians allowed the game to be dictated by Sheridan et al. The wily Loffreda had got the Pumas kicking endlessly, in an effort to break down defenses. It got them so far. The French were too careful, and tried to out kick Jonny. England couldn't adapt anyway - they had decided on one tack.
And the poor Welsh, who could razzle and dazzle, who could fill a stadium with neutrals and play it like purists, forgot to read the bottom line.
No glory without the grunt.
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