The World Cup reaches its climax at Stade de France next Saturday evening.

The winners will dine out for the rest of their lives on the memories, the losers forever curse that night in Paris when their dreams turned to ashes.


But who have been the real stars of this 2007 Rugby World Cup?
What have been the best moments, the funniest and saddest of times, the biggest upsets?

Here is my World Cup collection that covers (almost) the lot...


Best game: Wales 34 Fiji 38.


Biggest upset: New Zealand 18 France 20.


Best minnows performance: Georgia, in losing by a squeak, 14-10, to Ireland. They had them on the ropes for the last 20 minutes


Best atmosphere: Shared between Bordeaux, for the Ireland v Georgia game and the Parc des Princes, Paris, for the Argentina v Ireland match. The sound reverberated around the bowl-like stadium in Paris and was absolutely deafening when the two teams came out.


Bravest performance of the tournament: Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan laying the blame for his team's defeat to France firmly on his players.


Most embarrassing moment: Springbok wing Bryan Habana getting scorched by the USA's Zimbabwean-born wing Takudzwa Ngwenya for a sensational try. South Africa won 64-15 at Montpellier but Ngwenya scored the try of the tournament and completed it by skinning Habana, one of the world's fastest players, on the outside.


Most emotional moment: Portugal's players roaring out their national anthem before the match against New Zealand in Group C, tears streaming down their faces.


Biggest achievement by a minnow: Portugal scoring a try against the All Blacks.


Biggest disappointment: The much-hyped Ireland.

Follow up:

Most physical encounter: South Africa v Samoa.


Biggest heart-stopping moment: Samoan No 8 Henry Tuilagi accelerating into Springbok flanker Schalk Burger in the above match. The South African bounced off him and anyone watching felt bruised by the collision.


Biggest prat of the tournament: Australian Chief Executive John O'Neill saying publicly "We all hate England" a few days before the two countries met in the quarter final. Guess what dominated England's pre-match motivational talk.


Best ground: Stade Velodrome, Marseille.


Worst ground: Toulouse, because of the ridiculous, over-bearing security.


Funniest memory: Ireland's supporters doing the Mexican wave in a tram en route from Bordeaux city centre to the Stade Chaban-Delmas.


Hottest day: Montpellier, for Australia v Fiji. It was pushing 30 degrees C in the direct sun.


Best supporters: Ireland's, by a country mile.


Most let down supporters: Ireland's.


Best supporter fancy dress: A crowd of Englishmen resplendent in pith helmets, red jackets buttoned up to the neck and black trousers, like soldiers from the days of Empire, before the quarter final against Australia. They must have sweltered in the outfits.


Best bet of the tournament: The guy in my hotel, somewhere out in the country north of Marseille last Saturday night. He'd put £20 at 40-1 on France and England meeting in the semi-finals and couldn't bear to watch the last seven minutes of the All Blacks match against the French in Cardiff. He cleaned up £800.


Daftest thing about the World Cup: Holding matches in Edinburgh and Cardiff.


Most ridiculous venue: Murrayfield. They couldn't even sell it out for Scotland v New Zealand.


Best scrummaging performance: Argentina (v France).


Best back line performance: Fiji, against Wales in Nantes.


Best coach: Ilie Tabua (Fiji).


Best forward: Finau Maka (Tonga).


Best back: Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina).


Most ruthless act: The Welsh Rugby Board firing coach Gareth Jenkins, a thoroughly decent man, within hours of their loss to Fiji.


Worst food offered to the media: The slice of pizza at the Stade de France on the opening night. It was only any good for using as a door wedge.


Best personal memory of the tournament: Riding in the back of the police escort car behind the Argentine team bus en route to training, blue light flashing on the roof, all other road users being pushed into the side of the road.


Best referee: Wayne Barnes (England), even though he missed the forward pass that sent New Zealand out against France. Sorry guys, four more years.


Worst referee: Paul Honiss, for his appalling handling of the South Africa v Samoa match.


Best quote of the World Cup: Fijian lock Kele Leawere, asked about the luxury hotel where the Fijians were staying for their quarter final in Marseille: "Oh man, this is too good for us. This is where you get to stay when you reach a quarter final of the World Cup."


Most gentle, humble man of the World Cup: Fijian coach Ilie Tabua


Most generous act of the World Cup: Australian wing Drew Mitchell sidling up to a 16 year English lad on the morning after the Wallabies had gone out to England and saying 'Mate, do you play rugby? Would you like these boots?' He signed them both (white leather, Pumas) and they now adorn my son James's mantelpiece.


Best hospitality at the World Cup: Argentina, welcoming myself and my photographer into their private room at their Lyon team hotel. We spent a day with the Pumas and their manners, humility, friendship and warmth were the epitome of what this game should be about.


Unknown stars of the World Cup: French trains. They are sensational.


Most frustrating thing: There were so many 9.00pm kick-offs that those of us who were working never got anywhere near as many great French meals as we'd expected.


Most ridiculous statistic: I went four days at one stage without a single dinner, just living on baguettes, because so much work meant no time to eat.


Saddest moment of the World Cup: Fijian fly half Nicky Little suffering a gruesome knee injury in the last moments of their win over Wales. It cost him a place in the quarter final and could even have cost the Fijians a semi-final.


Best Nickname of the World Cup: Australia's media man rejoiced in the name Michael Earsman. 'Where's lobes' asked scrum half George Gregan one day.


Source: Belfast Telegraph