Rugby clubs across the land opened early for the World Cup final, the smell of bacon sizzled across the nation and Guinness, Bucks Fizz and Bloody Maries became the breakfast beverage as big screens took pride of place.

Salisbury rugby club, where it all began for Richard Hill, had Meridian TV cameras at training night interviewing Marcus Olsen who played with ‘Hilly’ from mini days through to Saracens. The BBC arrived to do two interviews, including a 6am breakfast show chat. TV cameras, radio journalists and the Salisbury Journal’s sports photographer turned up for the final and shouts of “HILLY!” filled the air.

Newsround, the children’s TV programme was at Richmond’s Athletic Ground for the final, interviewing youngsters from the minis. A stall selling RWC merchandise sold out, queues for breakfast stretched outside the club and the coach taking the first XV to Portsmouth for their 64th consecutive win, had to be held for extra time.
Sky Sports went along to Henley to interview their Director of Rugby, Rob Heginbotham, who played under Clive Woodward when he was manager at Dry Leas and 400 people packed into the clubhouse for the final, ecstatic players then diving headlong into the mud on the training pitch at the final whistle.

A massive party at Welford Road was screened on Sky Sports News, BBC and ITN, with five TV crews turning up. The crowd of 1,000 outgrew the Tiger Bar and spilled into the European bar, with two big screens set up. The bars ran out of beer twice because every time a Wilkinson kick sailed over pints spilled everywhere.