'03 Untold | The inside story of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final

Twenty years on from that historic day in Sydney, the players at the heart of the action open up on what it was like to play their part.
Jason Robinson, Richard Hill, Trevor Woodman, Jason Leonard & Lewis Moody give their perspective on a special achievement.
#Rugby #England
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[@neilbowers6956]

It's one of those scenarios where you can remember where you were and what you did on that day and time. Absolutely loved this film and it brought back so many memories and goosebumps.

[@GeorgeKeever]

Most memorable part for me was the look on the Aussie PMs face during the award ceremony .

[@jep1912]

Greatest England team in history. We must get back there.

[@Baz502]

2003 rugby world cup final was probably the best for drama and tension

[@dislecksick]

so nice to see people not staring at their phones

[@rjt4020]

Just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up & gave me goosebumps all over. What a team. What amazing memories. 20 years where has it gone. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@davidperry7128]

took years off my life!

[@PaulWilsonfitness]

The best sporting moment in my life time that inspired me to play and learn so much about myself and become the man I am today. It was more than just winning a game, and these men and this team created something that will live on.

[@Sulu-sw3zo]

That was epic, almost cinematic in its delivery. Still one of the great games. All the best from New Zealand.

[@HuwEvans.]

What a team, what a win, what a story!! The greatest.

[@samparker254]

It brings a tear to my eye every time!

[@jessdelange3419]

Loved to hear their insights into their training for these big moments and laughed when they talked about them all being out of position after the drop goal! What an amazing group they were, feel privileged to have witnessed history, Thanks for the memories boys!

[@Tiggz70]

Fantastic memories of fantastic team

[@jamietennant]

What a documentary!

[@RDPHOTOGRAPH]

It brings tears to my eyes I was there even though I was not born I was in the Belly of my mother and she was there

[@Mark_Bickerton]

This was not just a great game but a great tournament. However it probably was, the greatest RFU Final ever!

[@OnantheContrarian]

One day, hopefully many years from now, I'll be lying on my death bed wondering by how many years the stress of watching this final has shortened my life. Every now and then I wake up in a cold sweat imagining what would have happened if Jason Robinson hadn't made that finger tip tackle on Lote Tuqiri in the second half, when he looked to be away.

[@johno9761]

Jonny Wilkinson was THE GUY back then the man carried England on his back.

[@Joseph_Dredd]

Hard to believe 20 years ago now!!!!! And who cant forget Ben Kay knocking on 1 foot from the try line....... What a tournament. What a final. Made alot of people very happy :) Well done lads.

[@jamesbondiv4072]

Still can't believe no cameras caught Wilko practising his kicking in the break before extra time started!

[@marlecmarine5393]

What a fabulous video, a real treat to watch, such an incredible group of players each and every one of them.....

[@SamuelWakeling]

Brilliant!

[@johnbobby1092]

That kick still brings a tear to my eye today .

[@EAsp100]

Amazing piece 👏🏼

[@NorthWalesKid]

England won the final on Australian soil with a referee who did absolutely everything he could to help Australia win. It was the most bent refereeing display in rugby history. And England still won. That England team would beat any team in rugby history. They’d find a way, they always found a way. This is what the current England team need to learn how to do: stop playing to pre rehearsed systems; be fluid and just adapt to whatever is in front of them

[@chrishodgson2247]

Turn it up! 1. Neil Back kneed Stirling Mortlock in the face on the ground to take him out of the match. He got up with a massive shiner.) 2. Stephen Larkham was kicked in the face with studs and opened his face up. (Spent half the match after that in blood bin.) Both of these incidences are Red card offenses. (Very clever cheating, especially the first one.) England won, Australia lost because; 1. 'ESG Eddie' Jones picked inexperienced rugby league players over tested world cup winning veterans. (Rogers, Sailor, Tuquiri over the likes of Roff, Burke, Grey, Latham, Herbert) 2. Wet weather. England has far more experience and success in wet weather. Australia is usually terrible in wet weather. The referee was the best in the world at that time.

[@somanytakennames]

@@chrishodgson2247 Excuses excuses excuses. A good rugby team can play well regardless of the conditions. If Australia are a “terrible” team in wet weather then they don’t deserve to be winners. Which they weren’t.

[@somanytakennames]

This 2003 team had the benefit of a steady, four year build up. The 2023 team had the complete opposite of that.

[@carlosspencer7491]

Still whinging even after the North solitary success, the South have always had the humble approach that you be grateful for the opportunity given, you prepare yourself to the utmost, and you give it your all on the pitch, get those facets right before you even think about being successful..

[@dislecksick]

yeah, because the aussies never cheat. LOOOOOOL. @@chrishodgson2247

[@Westendgirlsailing]

I was at the game at the end where Jonny made the drop goal. Just sayin’ 😊

[@TONYUK1966]

It was great beating the 16 men of Australia.

[@englandrugby]

Where were you on that famous day in 2003?

[@TONYUK1966]

I was there. Went out for 6 weeks with no tickets and managed to get tickets for all the games including the final. I was sat on the 22 right in line with Johnnys kick and i remember it took an age to go through but we still wasnt sure and then we looked left and saw the england fans behind the posts go ballistic and thats when we knew we had won the world cup. Tears, laughter, hugging, relief but sheer joy..

[@RandomRCTV]

Watched the game in bed. Cried at the end

[@jackienewell7649]

Hiding behind some electrical boxes at work with a tv someone else had smuggled in teaching all comers the little I know of rugby, including the person who'd smuggled in the tv when THE drop goal was building up! best day at work ever!!

[@mikegray8776]

Newcastle Rugby Club restaurant - with my entire family - what a fucking intense atmosphere, and one of the best days of my entire life ✊🏼

[@Sulu-sw3zo]

Kiwi here, I was playing a season of rugby in Ireland for Ballina, and watched the final with a couple of good mates in our team - a fellow Kiwi and a Welshman from Port Talbot. My Welsh buddy left the lounge in seething disgust at the final whistle. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed the final. It was a bona fide classic.

[@neilcarpenter2669]

Andre Watson's refereeing in that final was scandalous, i don't like to accuse officials of cheating however i find it difficult to come up with any other reasonable explanation for his refereeing on that day, thankfully England still found a way to win.

[@Richythekiller1]

Agreed

[@LockedDownSpectator]

The only thing worse than South Africa's performance at that world cup was South African referee Andre Watson in that final. He did not help our image as a rugby nation with his handling of such a spectacle. England had that game locked up, but he was determined to keep hosts Australia in that one.

[@morgandunn8163]

England have always been an overrated side though austrilia were consistently better throughout that world cup. All england had was 8 bully boys and Johnny 😂

[@LockedDownSpectator]

@@morgandunn8163 You may or maybe not right, but the fact stands: Andre Watson stopped England from annihilating Australia like they did France the weekend before. England was peerless at this point. Not even the All Blacks would have beaten them in that final.

[@somanytakennames]

@@morgandunn8163 Overrated and yet won the World Cup 🤔

[@carlosspencer7491]

Geez, you Northern Hemisphere people still have something to whine about even after you win the Cup, probably why 2003 was your only taste of success as the North spends more time and money on whinging and moaning than they do trying to catch the South, only thing is, YOUS WILL NEVER CATCH THE SOUTH BOY!!

[@carlosspencer7491]

The Northern Hemisphere only World Cup title whereas the South have multiple winners who have lifted the cup on multiple occasions

[@10Cnote]

My mum still has the recorded copy of the game on VHS and we'll never get rid of it. Shame about the referee, either the pressure got to him or something because the moment he saw momentum on Australia's side he just started giving penalties left, right and centre to the Aussies.

[@lloydrobson]

🥹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@Marcus-mm8yr]

It’s giving Tottenham 😅

[@chrish3030]

As mentioned in mist of these comments the ref nearly ruined it for us, thankfully that last drive before the drop just showed how much in control we were

[@jep1912]

Is this going to be England's (football) world cup reminiscensing for decades to come - dining out on one past glory.... forever?

[@user-wp2rp1ik7o]

Well its the 20 year anniversary so i'd say well worth commemorating.

[@rdgrdg1632]

Good

[@jameswells3566]

All the other Six Nations sides would love a world Cup win to remember! Most of them would like a final appearance to remember. Great against a cheating, one sided referee too. England's best side ever 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

[@eiremike1]

Bless, RFU has to drag out 21 year old material to try and relive the one moment of glory

[@rdgrdg1632]

Still bitter are you

[@Niall94]

They won the World Cup, they are entitled to mark the 20 year anniversary. That was a brilliant England team who had beaten the best of the Southern Hemisphere consistently over the 2000-2003 period and actually played decent rugby. From an Irishman btw

[@revolutionnow5227]

England reminiscing on 03 😂😂😂. Bokke we are your cryptonite 😂😂😂😂

[@garyambrosini1427]

Even though we beat you 25-6 in the 2003 world cup

[@revolutionnow5227]

@garyambrosini1427 once we beat you twice in a final an once in a semi . 😄 🤣 😂 😆

[@BH-ui5eb]

The ref clearly did not want it to be a drubbing, and decided to get Australia back in the game.