The Rugby World Cup 2003

English fly-half Johnny Wilkinson kicking the winning drop. PHOTO: AFP

England won, but only just in extra time and seconds to spare. The final score line was 20-17 in favour of England. Australia was devastated after breaking the record of reaching three consecutive world cup finals and being the reigning champion. Australian Prime Minister John Howard gave away the winning trophy without a flicker of a smile on his face; he was visibly upset, if not sulking.

I know this is not a game that is well known in Bangladesh, let alone have followers. Although I myself played it first in Bangladesh, at Faujdharhat Cadet College, and got hooked ever since. Many discard it as a violent game played by hooligans. Nothing can be further from the truth. I see it as a contest of ancient gladiatorial proportions but played with sophisticated and subtle rules. It is a game that sifts men from the boys. Yes, you need strength and lots and lots of it. But you need skills too. You need to be able to run fast, handle an odd shaped oval ball that bounces funny, and be able to kick it too. Two teams, consisting of fifteen each, confront each other for eighty minutes, contesting at close quarters with body and all four limbs for the possession of the ball. You score when you can drop the ball and touch it anywhere across the goal line or kick it over the horizontal bar of the goal post. To get a feel for the fitness that this game needs, try freestyle wrestling with a friend for more than five minutes, you may just about get your breath back. What may seem madness on the field, actually is played within very tight rules, with each team working out a detail strategy, tactics, set piece and above all teamwork. Sublime symphony at its sporting best.

Now, back to the match itself. In terms of a win it was of a historical proportion for England. The last time anything remotely similar happened was when England won the football world cup and that was -- wait for it, back in 1966. So you can imagine how the nation must have erupted with the victory, a crowning moment specially when all the other team sports are doddering at the fringes.

The final started with a spectacular try (ball touched down across the goal line -- accounting for five points) by the Aussies, a beautifully choreographed, in-play set piece. Wallabies as they are affectionately called, looked formidable, keeping possession of the ball and playing in the opponents' half. This lasted for about ten minutes, when England came back with a vengeance by keeping possession of the ball and winning penalty kicks (grant of a unopposed kick and if hit over the horizontal bar accounts for three points). England fought back with grit and stony determination and the score moved on to 9-5 in favour of England after been granted three penalty kicks for handling errors by the Australians. Then just before half time, came a skilful running try for England by Robinson, initiated and created by their indomitable No8, Lawrence Dallaglio, and the kicking maestro Johnny Wilkinson, taking the score to 14-5.

The 2nd half was another story, England looked tired and started to make handling errors, the Wallabies took advantage and started to catch up with the England lead. In the 79th. minute with a minute to finish and England lifting the Rugby World Cup, the score stood at 14-11, the Aussies were three short of a draw, which would give them a new life line through twenty minutes of extra time. Lo and behold they get a penalty kick which they also convert on the 80th and final minute of regulation time to level with England. The game moved on to extra time, ten minutes each way.

At the first half of extra time, England took the lead by three points through an award of a penalty kick. The second half of extra time, Australia equalised through yet another penalty kick. The score stood at level again, and the game looked almost certain to go for a further extra time, inflicting the cruel sudden death rules, when the play stops as soon as someone scores. No body wanted that. The penultimate minute, the clock showed 19 minutes of extra time has been played, one more minute to go before the sudden death rule would kick in. England had possession of the ball and was in Australian territory, there was really no time for a try, but the whole of England suddenly felt certain what the final move for England had to be, it was now or never. The kicking maestro Johnny Wilkinson had to take charge, and sure enough, the ball got passed back to Wilkinson and the rest, as they say, is history. England won by a drop goal( a kick performed by first dropping the ball to the ground) with 28 seconds to spare. If you can't call this thrilling, you are not a man of heart!

This was a match befitting a world cup final that usually are a disappointment, as they rarely live up to the hype. England went into the tournament as favourite and reigning world numero uno. But failed to live up to its reputation in the earlier games and soon lost their position of favourite. They showed their first flash of brilliance when they beat France at the semi's to move on to the final. And then they produced this extraordinary game that legends will be made of it, for years to come.

Ghalib Chaudhuri, a former investment banker, is managing partner of Octavian Associates, an independent consulting practice based in Singapore.