To anyone from Australia and New Zealand, it was too much to bear: Jonny Wilkinson kicking a drop goal 26 seconds from the end of extra time to clinch the World Cup for England.
The kick gave Clive Woodward's team a 20-17 victory over host and defending champion Australia at Sydney's Olympic Stadium as England became the first Northern Hemisphere team to win rugby's greatest prize.
The fact that victory came seven months after an elusive Six Nations Grand Slam made it even more satisfying for Woodward, whose team had become the butt of rivals' jokes for so many near misses.
Organizers of the 20-nation World Cup were criticized for drawing it out over six weeks. But the final had so much drama it seemed almost worth the wait.
Australia hit back from 14-5 down at halftime, with Elton Flatley making it 14-14 on a penalty two minutes from the end of regulation time. Another penalty leveled it at 17-17 in extra time, and the final appeared to be headed for sudden-death scoring, until Wilkinson's right-footed drop goal ended 16 years of Southern Hemisphere domination.
The kick transformed Wilkinson into a megastar, and, when some 750,000 people clogged central London for an England victory parade, most eyes were on the modest flyhalf.
"I see it as something that's happened to me because of what everyone else has done," he said. "I keep putting that across, but it's true.
"Because of the individuality of the kicking, I seem to get singled out, but it's down to everyone else."
While the World Cup showed that English rugby continued to be on the rise, it gave the Australians, All Blacks and South Africans plenty to think about.
The Wallabies, until their heroics in the final and semifinals when they beat New Zealand 22-10, were lackluster and coach Eddie Jones was criticized for his team selections. In midyear, Australia lost three straight tests for the first time since 1995.
The All Blacks easily won the Tri-Nations, reeled off 11 successive wins, and were favored to meet England in the World Cup final, but were outplayed by the Wallabies in the semis.
New Zealand was credited with playing the most exciting rugby all year, and unveiled the heir apparent to great winger Jonah Lomu -- Joe Rokocoko, who scored 17 tries in 11 tests.
Lomu, battling a rare kidney illness for years, suffered full kidney failure in June and was on dialysis daily, but put off a transplant to try and resurrect his illustrious career.
Springboks
South Africa arrived at the World Cup under a cloud after a year's poor performances and a racial controversy ignited by two players who didn't make it to the finals. Geo Cronje, who is white, reportedly refused to room with black squad player Quinton Davids.
Crushed by New Zealand in the quarterfinals, the Springboks went home early to another scandal over a pre-World Cup military-style boot camp.
Photographs and video footage showed Springbok players stripped naked and huddled together in a pit. Others showed them crawling naked through the grass, lugging railway tracks, and lined up to have eggs cracked over their heads.
The revelations led to the resignations of coach Rudi Straeuli, managing director Rian Oberholzer and president Silas Nkanunu.
"For the recalcitrant, the unbending, the devious and the racist, we say there will be no place for you to hide anymore in our world of rugby," new South Africa president Brian van Rooyen said after his appointment. "Your departure starts right here, right now."
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