1999 Rugby World Cup

1999 Rugby World Cup

Welsh: Cwpan Rygbi'r Byd 1999
Tournament details
Host nation	Wales
Dates	1 October – 6 November 1999
No. of nations	20
Final positions
Champions	Australia (2nd title)
Runner-up	France
Third place	South Africa
Tournament statistics
Matches played	41
Attendance	1,562,427 (38,108 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Gonzalo Quesada (102)
Most tries	Jonah Lomu (8)
← 1995 2003 →

The 1999 Rugby World Cup (Welsh: Cwpan Rygbi'r Byd 1999), was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship, the first World Cup to be held in the sport's professional era.^[1]

Four automatic qualification places were available for the 1999 tournament;

The following 20 teams, shown by region, qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Of the 20 teams, only four of those places were automatically allocated and did not have to play any qualification matches. These went to the champions, runners-up and the third-placed nations at the 1995 and the tournament host, Wales. A record 65 nations from five continents were therefore involved in the qualification process designed to fill the remaining 16 spots.

Wales won the right to host the World Cup in 1999. The centrepiece venue for the tournament was the Millennium Stadium, built on the site of the old National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park at a cost of £126 million from Lottery money and private investment. Other venues in Wales were the Racecourse Ground and Stradey Park. An agreement was reached so that the other unions in the Five Nations Championship (England, France, Ireland and Scotland) also hosted matches.

Venues in England included

editions of the tournament.

Cardiff	Wrexham	Llanelli	Saint-Denis
Millennium Stadium	Racecourse Ground	Stradey Park	Stade de France
Capacity: 74,500	Capacity: 15,500	Capacity: 10,800	Capacity: 80,000
London	Edinburgh	Glasgow	Dublin
Twickenham Stadium	Murrayfield Stadium	Hampden Park	Lansdowne Road
Capacity: 75,000	Capacity: 67,500	Capacity: 52,500	Capacity: 49,250
Lens	Bordeaux	Toulouse	Huddersfield
Stade Félix Bollaert	Parc Lescure	Stadium de Toulouse	McAlpine Stadium
Capacity: 41,800	Capacity: 38,327	Capacity: 37,000	Capacity: 24,500
Bristol	Béziers	Leicester	Limerick
Ashton Gate Stadium	Stade de la Méditerranée	Welford Road Stadium	Thomond Park
Capacity: 21,500	Capacity: 18,000	Capacity: 16,500	Capacity: 13,500
Belfast	Galashiels
Ravenhill	Netherdale
Capacity: 12,500	Capacity: 6,000

Pools and format

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D	Pool E
South Africa  Scotland  Spain  Uruguay	New Zealand  England  Italy  Tonga	France  Fiji  Canada  Namibia	Wales  Argentina  Samoa  Japan	Australia  Ireland   United States  Romania

With the expansion of the Rugby World Cup from 16 to 20 teams an unusual and complex format was used with the teams split into five pools of four teams with each team playing each other in their pool once.

• Pool A was played in Scotland
• Pool B was played in England
• Pool C was played in France
• Pool D was played in the principal host nation Wales
• Pool E was played in Ireland

Points system

The points system that was used in the pool stage was unchanged from both 1991 and 1995:

• 3 points for a win
• 2 points for a draw
• 1 point for playing

The five pool winners qualified automatically to the quarter-finals. The five pool runners-up and the best third-placed side qualified for the quarter-final play-offs.

Knock-out stage

The five pool runners-up and the best third-placed team from the pool stage (which was Argentina) contested the quarter-final play-offs in three one-off matches that decided the remaining three places in the quarter-finals, with the losers being eliminated. The unusual format meant that two pool winners in the quarter-finals would have to play each other. From the quarter-final stage it became a simple knockout tournament. The semi-final losers played off for third place. The draw and format for the knock-out stage was set as follows.

Quarter-final play-offs draw

• Match H: Pool B runner-up v Pool C runner-up
• Match G: Pool A runner-up v Pool D runner-up
• Match F: Pool E runner-up v Best third-placed team

Quarter-finals draw

• Match M: Pool D winners v Pool E winners
• Match J: Pool A winners v Play-off H winners
• Match L: Pool C winners v Play-off F winners
• Match K: Pool B winners v Play-off G winners

Semi-finals draw

• Match J winners v Match M winners
• Match L winners v Match K winners

A total of 41 matches (30 pool stage and 11 knock-out) were played throughout the tournament over 35 days from 1 October 1999 to 6 November 1999.

The tournament began on 1 October 1999 in the newly built

as the best third placed side from all five pools, having been the only third-placed side to win two matches (against Samoa and Japan). Indeed, Argentina had finished level with Wales and Samoa on 7 points each in the group stages, and could only be separated by "total points scored": playing and winning their final match against Japan, they had the chance to overtake either of Samoa or Wales, but were 14 points short of overtaking Samoa's total score and a further 18 points short of Wales.

Qualified for quarter-finals

Qualified for quarter-final play-offs

Pool A

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
South Africa	3	3	0	0	132	35	9
Scotland	3	2	0	1	120	58	7
Uruguay	3	1	0	2	42	97	5
Spain	3	0	0	3	18	122	3

2 October 1999 15:00 Kovalenco (5) 7', 40', 48', 50', 68'

Report

Try: Ormaechea 23' c Penalty try 64' c Cardoso 77' m Menchaca 80' m Con: Aguirre Sciarra Pen: Aguirre 15'

Netherdale, Galashiels Attendance: 3,761 Referee: Chris White (England)

---

3 October 1999 17:00 New Zealand )

---

8 October 1999 16:00 Australia )

---

10 October 1999 17:00 New Zealand )

---

15 October 1999 17:00 Australia )

---

16 October 1999 15:00 UTC+01)

Scotland	48–0	Spain
Try: Mather (2) McLaren Longstaff Hodge C. Murray Penalty try Con: Hodge (5) Pen: Hodge

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 17,593 Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales)

Pool B

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
New Zealand	3	3	0	0	176	28	9
England	3	2	0	1	184	47	7
Tonga	3	1	0	2	47	171	5
Italy	3	0	0	3	35	196	3

2 October 1999 17:00 UTC+01)

England	67–7	Italy
Try: Wilkinson Hill Luger Back De Glanville Corry Dawson Perry Con: Wilkinson (6) Pen: Wilkinson (5)		Try: Dominguez Con: Dominguez

Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 73,470 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

---

3 October 1999 15:00 Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol Attendance: 22,000 Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales )

---

9 October 1999 16:30 Australia )

---

10 October 1999 19:00 Fatani Tuipulotu Con: Tuipulotu (2) Pen: Tuipulotu (2) Drop: Tuipulotu

Welford Road Stadium, Leicester Attendance: 10,244 Referee: David McHugh (Ireland)

---

14 October 1999 13:00 McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield Attendance: 24,000 Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland )

---

15 October 1999 13:00 Australia )

Pool C

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
France	3	3	0	0	108	52	9
Fiji	3	2	0	1	124	68	7
Canada	3	1	0	2	114	82	5
Namibia	3	0	0	3	42	186	3

1 October 1999 21:00 Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers Attendance: 10,000 Referee: David McHugh (Ireland )

---

2 October 1999 14:00 Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Brian Campsall (England )

---

8 October 1999 21:00 Chris White (England )

---

9 October 1999 13:30 Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Attendance: 27,000 Referee: Ed Morrison (England )

---

14 October 1999 20:30 Australia )

---

16 October 1999 14:00 New Zealand )

Pool D

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
Wales	3	2	0	1	118	71	7
Samoa	3	2	0	1	97	72	7
Argentina	3	2	0	1	83	51	7
Japan	3	0	0	3	36	140	3

1 October 1999 15:00 New Zealand )

---

3 October 1999 13:00 Australia )

---

9 October 1999 14:30 Howley Gibbs Llewellyn Thomas Bateman Howarth Penalty try Con: Jenkins (8) Pen: Jenkins

Try: Tuidraki Ohata Con: Hirose Pen: Hirose

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 72,500 Referee: Joël Dume (France)

---

10 October 1999 13:00 Australia )

---

14 October 1999 15:00 UTC+01)

Wales	31–38	Samoa
Try: Thomas Penalty try (2) Con: Jenkins (2) Pen: Jenkins (4)		Try: Bachop (2) Falaniko Lam Leaega Con: Leaega (5) Pen: Leaega

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 72,500 Referee: Ed Morrison (England)

---

16 October 1999 19:00 Australia )

Pool E

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
Australia	3	3	0	0	135	31	9
Ireland	3	2	0	1	100	45	7
Romania	3	1	0	2	50	126	5
United States	3	0	0	3	52	135	3

2 October 1999 19:00 United States
Try: Bishop Wood (4) O'Driscoll Penalty try Con: Humphreys (4) Elwood (2) Pen: Humphreys (2)	Report	Try: Dalzell Pen: Dalzell

Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Joël Dume (France)

---

3 October 1999 19:00 New Zealand )

---

9 October 1999 19:00 United States	25–27	Romania
Try: Shuman Hightower Lyle Con: Dalzell (2) Pen: Dalzell (2)	Report	Try: Petrache (2) Solomie (2) Con: Mitu (2) Pen: Mitu

Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

---

10 October 1999 15:00 UTC+01)

Ireland	3–23	Australia
Pen: Humphreys	Report	Try: Tune Horan Con: Burke (2) Pen: Burke (2) Eales

Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 49,250 Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales)

---

14 October 1999 17:00 Strauss Con: Burke (5) Roff Pen: Burke

Report

Try: Grobler Con: Dalzell Pen: Dalzell (4)

Thomond Park, Limerick Attendance: 13,000 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

---

15 October 1999 19:00 UTC+01)

Ireland	44–14	Romania
Try: O'Shea (2) Ward Tierney O'Cuinneagain Con: Elwood (5) Pen: Elwood (2) Drop: O'Driscoll	Report	Try: Săuan Pen: Mitu (3)

Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 33,000 Referee: Brian Campsall (England)

Ranking of third-placed teams

Qualified for quarter-final play-offs

Team	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
Argentina	2	0	1	83	51	7
Canada	1	0	2	114	82	5
Uruguay	1	0	2	42	97	5
Romania	1	0	2	50	126	5
Tonga	1	0	2	47	171	5

Play-off stage

The quarter-final play-offs were three one-off knock-out matches between the runners-up of each pool and the best third-placed side from all five pools to decide the remaining three places in the quarter-finals. The matches were played in mid-week between the completion of the pool stage and the start of the quarter-finals. The matches produced fairly easy wins for England, beating Fiji 45–24, and also for Scotland, beating Samoa 35–20. However, the final match produced the shock of the round where Argentina upset Ireland 28–24 in Lens.

20 October 1999 13:00 UTC+01)

England	45–24	Fiji
Try: Luger Back Beal Greening Con: Dawson Wilkinson Pen: Wilkinson (7)	Report	Try: Satala Nakauta Tiko Con: Little (3) Pen: Serevi

Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 55,000 Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales)

20 October 1999 15:30 UTC+01)

Scotland	35–20	Samoa
Try: C. Murray M. Leslie Penalty try Con: Logan Pen: Logan (5) Drop: Townsend	Report	Try: Lima Sititi Con: Leaega (2) Pen: Leaega (2)

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 20,000 Referee: David McHugh (Ireland)

The winners from the quarter-final play-offs, who had played in mid-week, joined the pool winners, who had enjoyed a week long rest, in the quarter-finals. England, hosts Wales and Scotland were all knocked out, and France, who beat Argentina, were the only team left from the Northern Hemisphere.

The semi-finals, which were both played at Twickenham Stadium, produced two of the most dramatic matches of the tournament, with Australia beating South Africa 27–21 in extra-time after normal time ended with the scores locked at 18-18. The second semi-final between favourites New Zealand and underdogs France was an all-time classic, as France overturned a 24–10 deficit to win 43–31 and reach their second World Cup final. France and Australia met at the Millennium Stadium on 6 November 1999, with Australia winning 35–12 to become the first team to win the Webb Ellis Cup twice. The cup was presented by Queen Elizabeth II to Australian captain John Eales.^[2][3]

The overall attendance for the tournament was 1.75 million.^[5]

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	24 October – Stade de France
	South Africa	44
					30 October – Twickenham
	England	21
					a.e.t. )	27
	Australia	24
						6 November – Millennium Stadium
	Wales	9
						Australia	35
	24 October – Murrayfield
						France	12
	New Zealand	30
				31 October – Twickenham
	Scotland	18
				New Zealand	31
	24 October – Lansdowne Road
					France	43			Third place
	France	47
									4 November – Millennium Stadium
	Argentina	26
									South Africa	22
									New Zealand	18

24 October 1999 14:00 UTC+02)

South Africa	44–21	England
Try: Van der Westhuizen P. Rossouw Con: De Beer (2) Pen: De Beer (5) Drop: De Beer (5)	Report	Pen: Grayson (6) Wilkinson

Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 75,000 Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

24 October 1999 18:00 UTC+01)

Scotland	18–30	New Zealand
Try: C. Murray Pountney Con: Logan Pen: Logan Drop: Townsend	Report	Try: Umaga (2) Wilson Lomu Con: Mehrtens (2) Pen: Mehrtens (2)

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 59,750 Referee: Ed Morrison (England)

24 October 1999 15:30 UTC+01)

Argentina	26–47	France
Try: Pichot Arbizu Con: Quesada (2) Pen: Quesada (3) Contepomi	Report	Try: Garbajosa (2) Bernat-Salles (2) Ntamack Con: Lamaison (5) Pen: Lamaison (4)

Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

30 October 1999 15:00 UTC+01)

Australia	27–21 (a.e.t.)	South Africa
Pen: Burke (8) Drop: Larkham	Report	Pen: De Beer (6) Drop: De Beer

Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 72,000 Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

31 October 1999 15:00 UTC+00)

France	43–31	New Zealand
Try: Lamaison Dominici Dourthe Bernat-Salles Con: Lamaison (4) Pen: Lamaison (3) Drop: Lamaison (2)	Report	Try: Lomu (2) Wilson Con: Mehrtens (2) Pen: Mehrtens (4)

Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 70,000 Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

6 November 1999 15:00 UTC+00)

Australia	35–12	France
Try: Tune Finegan Con: Burke (2) Pen: Burke (7)	Report	Pen: Lamaison (4)

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 72,500 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

The tournament's top point scorer was Argentina's Gonzalo Quesada, who scored 102 points. Jonah Lomu scored the most tries, eight in total, a rugby world cup record.

Top 10-point scorers

Player	Team	Position	Played	Tries	Conv­ersions	Penal­ties	Drop goals	Total points
Gonzalo Quesada	Argentina	Fly-half	5	0	3	31	1	102
Matt Burke	Australia	Full-back	6	2	17	19	0	101
Jannie de Beer	South Africa	Fly-half	5	0	17	15	6	97
Andrew Mehrtens	New Zealand	First five-eighth	5	0	11	19	0	79
Jonny Wilkinson	England	Fly-half	4	1	8	16	0	69
Christophe Lamaison	France	Fly-half	6	1	9	12	2	65
Silao Leaega	Samoa	Wing	4	2	11	10	0	62
Neil Jenkins	Wales	Fly-half	4	0	12	11	0	57
Paul Grayson	England	Fly-half	4	0	12	10	0	54
Kenny Logan	Scotland	Wing	4	0	9	11	0	51

British television rights holders ITV acted as the host broadcaster for the tournament, with S4C also broadcasting matches in the Welsh language.^[6] with coverage shown in 209 countries, to an audience of 3.1 billion viewers.^[7] In Australia, the event was broadcast by Seven Network.

• ITV (1 October 1999 – 6 November 1999)
• S4C (1 October 1999 – 6 November 1999)

External links

External videos
Rugby World Cup 1999 Semi-Final: New Zealand v France on YouTube

• Rugbyworldcup.com
• 1999 Rugby World Cup Reports and Statistics (Archived)
• 1999 Rugby World Cup Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine on Worldcupweb.com
• Statistics on ESPN Scrum