Team England Rugby World Cup 2007

When England’s rugby team set off to France to defend their world title, few outsiders gave them much chance. A run of poor results and injuries left them looking under-prepared and outgunned. When they struggled to beat the USA and were destroyed 36-0 by South Africa, a record defeat for England in the World Cup, many feared they wouldn’t even qualify from their group.

But head coach Brian Ashton and the players regrouped and planned a new way forward. Results began to pick up. Samoa and Tonga were seen off to set up a mouth-watering tie against Australia, a return of the 2003 final, with the Wallabies desperate for revenge and confident they were going to get it. Instead, a titanic forward effort from England blasted Australia and saw the Red Rose through to a semi-final against the hosts France.

Suddenly, there seemed the very real prospect that England would become the first nation ever to successfully defend their title; thousands of fans poured in to Paris to cheer them on. In a game of high drama and tension, England beat France – just as they had done in the 2003 semi-final – to set up a final encounter with South Africa, the team that had humiliated them just weeks earlier. In the end, England fell agonizingly short, but the player had restored honour and hope.

World Cup 2007 tells the story from inside the England camp, with contributions from all the players, and reveals just how one of the all-time great sporting comebacks was achieved.