How it unfolded
New Zealand had gone 24 years without a title since 1987, carrying the added pressure of hosting the tournament. During the competition, starting fly-half Dan Carter tore his groin in training and was ruled out, and when both Colin Slade and Aaron Cruden went down injured as well, New Zealand called up its fourth-choice option, Stephen Donald, who was fishing for whitebait when he got the call. In the final, New Zealand scored first in the first half with a lineout-move try from prop Tony Woodcock, and Donald added a penalty in the second half for an 8-0 lead. France, which had lost to both New Zealand and Tonga in the pool stage yet still reached the final, outplayed New Zealand on the day. Captain Thierry Dusautoir scored off a rolling maul and Dimitri Yachvili converted, making it 8-7. France pressed for the rest of the match, but New Zealand held on around Richie McCaw, who played through the tournament with a fractured foot. The one-point margin held in front of 61,079 fans until the final whistle.
Why it still matters
The match that finally lifted the 24-year burden of favoritism off New Zealand's shoulders, and the starting point of a dynasty that carried through to a repeat title in 2015. The fact that losing captain Dusautoir was named World Rugby Player of the Year that season shows just how close the match really was.