All times are Bahamian.

The Springboks are the only unbeaten team en route to the final. They accounted for:


Samoa 59-7
England 36-0

Tonga 30-25
USA 64-15

Fiji 37-20
Argentina 37-13


England got there as follows:

USA 28-10
South Africa 0-36

Samoa 44-22
Tonga 36-20

Australia 12-10
France 14-9


* If South Africa win they'll make it three in row over England at the Stade de France in Rugby World Cup action. In the quarter-final in 1999 they triumphed 44-21 (the test in which Jannie de Beer kicked a world record five dropped goals); which with the 36-0 victory in the Pool stages of this year's tournament gives them a pretty impressive aggregate.

* It is now apparent that the Boks' 25-14 victory over England at Twickenham in their last game of 2006 was a watershed occasion. That
win halted a run of seven successive defeats and if they win on Saturday they'll extend their current run to five wins in a row.

* The Boks go into the Final with both the top points scorer, Percy Montgomery on 93, and leading try-scorer, Bryan Habana on eight, in the tournament in their ranks.
* The Boks, with 33, have recorded the second most tries in the tournament. The All Blacks ran in an amazing 48 tries before being sent packing by France in their quarterfinal in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

* In reaching the Final, England have scored just 12 tries; and only one in their two play-off matches.
* England have repeated their feat of being the only side to lose a match in the Pool stages but still qualify for the Final. In 1991 they lost to New Zealand in the opening game but reached the Final against Australia and, of course, this year they lost to the Springboks.

* Francois Steyn (Born 14 May 1987) at 20 years and 159 days will be the youngest player ever to take part in a Rugby World Cup Final.
* Os du Randt (Born 8 September 1972) will not be the oldest player on the field - a distinction which will, ironically, belong to another South African Mike Catt (Born 17 September 1971). Believe it

or not both Mark Regan and Lawrence Dallaglio, two stalwarts of "Dad's Army", also give Os a couple of months.
* During the 2007 tournament Jonny Wilkinson, currently on 243, passed Scotland's Gavin Hastings (227) as the most prolific points-scorer in RWC history.

* At 10am on Wednesday, October 17, the IRB announced that every available ticket for the Final had been sold.
* Alain Rolland will become the first Irishman to referee a Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday night.

* Grey College in Bloemfontein has for the second time achieved the remarkable feat of having five former pupils in a Springbok RWC squad - CJ van der Linde, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Steyn and Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis.
* "He scores tries other people don't even dream about." - Eddie Jones on Bryan Habana.

* Scotland were voted the 'Best Looking team' with the 'Best Fans'...again.

In a World Cup where Argentina have emerged from the status of dark horses for qualification from the pool stage to potential winners of the competition, they have impressed more than they did today but even a substandard performance was enough to end Scotland’s hopes of making the semi-finals.


Marcello Loffreda's side began the match relying on Garryowens from the gilded boot of Juan Martin Hernandez, the tactic that undid the France in the opening game of the tournament, and completed it by setting up a now-familiar unimpeachable defence. In the interim they profited from a Scotland display undermined by bad errors and limited by a lack of imagination.



The opening try resulted from one such mistake. His side 6-3 trailing after three converted tries, Dan Parks had a clearance kick charged down from a defensive lineout and Gonzalo Longo darted between two Scottish defenders to touch down - why Rory Lamont did not dive on the ball only he can explain.

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Pumas rugby director Les Cusworth says the Celtic nations could learn from the structure of rugby in Argentina.


Cusworth believes staying amateur has benefited Argentina while countries like Wales and Scotland have struggled to establish a professional elite.

"Lots of amateur clubs have gone because of professionalism. To get an elite, you need a wide base," he said.
"We have a base other countries would die for and our future, while amateur, is a lot brighter than many nations."

Argentina have made the quarter-finals of the World Cup despite a lack of resources and preparation time while their top players ply their trade in Europe.
Both Wales and Ireland failed to reach the knockout stages and Cusworth, a former England fly-half who has been with the Pumas since 2001, says Argentina's decision to remain amateur has been vindicated.

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