How it unfolded
In front of 82,957 fans in Sydney, Australia struck first. In the sixth minute, winger Lote Tuqiri rose above Jason Robinson to finish off a Stephen Larkham cross-field kick, though the conversion missed. England replied with a Jonny Wilkinson penalty, and Robinson dove into the left corner just before halftime to make it 14-5. In the second half, Australian fly-half Elton Flatley landed three penalties in succession, then kicked another right at the death to force extra time at 14-14. A Wilkinson drop goal in the first period of extra time made it 17-14, but Flatley leveled it again at 17-17 with a penalty. On England's final attack, they won a lineout, scrum-half Matt Dawson drove forward with a short burst, Neil Back peeled the ball back, and Wilkinson, taking Dawson's pass, struck a drop goal with his unfavored right foot with 26 seconds left. Final score: 20-17. Martin Johnson became the only England captain ever to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Why it still matters
The only time a northern-hemisphere nation has won the World Cup, and a match that turned Clive Woodward's data-driven, specialist-coaching model into the standard for professional rugby. Wilkinson's drop goal remains one of the most replayed moments in British sport.