Remarkable

Remarkable.Strategic withdrawal of the tournament: John Hart. He knew he would face the "Go Now" messages on arrival at Auckland International, so he decided to save his paint-spraying critics some time and bother by stealing their thunder. He was the iron in the Wallaby soul, the granite in the defensive wall that made Australia all but impregnable. Immense, both physically and metaphorically.HIGHS AND LOWSLate arrival of the tournament: Fabien Galthie. The Tricolore selectors were not on speaking terms with the Colomiers scrum-half, so perhaps they e-mailed him. Whatever, Galthie answered an emergency call to arms by re-joining the French squad before the pool game against Fiji, and promptly guided his countrymen to a second World Cup final.Early departure of the tournament: Jeremy Guscott.

He could well be the star of the forthcoming European Cup.8 TOUTAI KEFU (AUSTRALIA)Lawrence Dallaglio did it against the All Blacks, but Kefu did it against all-comers. South Africa's next captain? Yes, if Nick Mallett has any sense.7 OLIVIER MAGNE (FRANCE)Having gone toe to toe with Josh Kronfeld and emerged a clear winner, the scrum-capped greyhound from Montferrand is now officially the finest open-side flanker in the world. When the best player in the world needs to get nasty, then nasty it is: Eales fought tooth and nail with the French in the final and duly out-pointed them.6 RASSIE ERASMUS (SOUTH AFRICA)Bobby Skinstad's anonymity put the Springbok back row under serious strain, but Erasmus grew in stature through the tournament to provide a razor-sharp cutting edge in the loose. If he never plays for the Tricolores again, his performance in the first 20 minutes of the semi-final classic with New Zealand will keep his name in lights.5 JOHN EALES (AUSTRALIA)Too nice to be a captain, especially an Australian captain? Don't you believe it. Worryingly gifted for a man constructed on such a vast scale, he remains the most potent symbol of Springbok rugby.2 MARIO LEDESMA (ARGENTINA)Called in to replace the best hooker in the world, Ledesma achieved a very passable impersonation of...well, the best hooker in the world. That the Pumas did not miss the injured Federico Mendez one little bit tells the whole story.3 FRANCK TOURNAIRE (FRANCE)A real handful, in more ways than you care to mention.

Tournaire is French rugby made flesh: passionate, massively accomplished, distinctly dodgy. As horrible to his opponents as he was tender to the daughter he insisted on carrying around the pitch.4 ABDEL BENAZZI (FRANCE)The great rugby warrior from the Moroccan town of Oujda was back on top of his game. Gregan did that and more in the Wallaby-Springbok semi-final, proving himself the most competitive individual in the tournament.1 OS DU RANDT (SOUTH AFRICA)One of the great loose-head props, the "Ox" delivered by the hundredweight when the chips were down against England. One of the greats.11 JONAH LOMU (NEW ZEALAND)Eight tries in six matches, all of them extraordinary and one of them from No 8 rather than left wing.

This Lomu was a more rounded, flexible performer than the one who dominated the 1995 tournament, but at bottom, he remains a monster.10 STEVE LARKHAM (AUSTRALIA)It was not a vintage World Cup at No 10: Mehrtens, Bachop, Lamaison flickered all too briefly. Larkham's was hardly a classical performance, but his subtlety and raw physical courage took him to the top of the pile.9 GEORGE GREGAN (AUSTRALIA)Any scrum-half who can live with a Van der Westhuizen operating at the peak of his powers is worthy of acclaim. No wing on earth tackles like Lima; his display in adversity against Wales was deeply felt, even by his own standards.13 VILIAME SATALA (FIJI)The let's-make-it-happen element in a Fijian back division that bordered on the mesmeric. At 27, he has finally been lured away from his Pacific island by the French club Mont-de-Marsan, who have negotiated themselves a real bargain.12 TIM HORAN (AUSTRALIA)In the midst of a shambolic and often sour professional era, Horan brought a purity of motive to the competition: he was more enthusiastic about his third World Cup than some were about their first He played a bit, too, bless him. A glorious and exhilarating free spirit.14 BRIAN LIMA (SAMOA)A third World Cup for the combustible force of nature from Apia, who was no less committed this time round than he had been in 1991.