The fluctuation of the odds on England becoming the first nation to successfully defend the Webb Ellis Cup provide a stark illustration of the team’s nerve-jangling passage through the tournament.

The World Cup holders were rank outsiders, at about 20/1, when the tournament began. They slipped to even longer odds after a poor first game victory over the USA, and were effectively written off after crashing to a 36-0 defeat at the hands of South Africa.

After that match bookmakers rated England at 66/1 to retain their crown. Ladbrokes went as far as 80/1. But on Betfair, the online betting exchange, the odds slipped to as long as 279/1.

The website allows fans to bet against each other, and set their own odds, cutting out the middle man. One user managed to stake £12 at 279/1 on England winning the World Cup, while nearly £10,000 changed hands at odds of longer than 100/1.

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Standing over that penalty with five minutes to go: that was nerve-racking. You can feel and see your shirt moving with your heartbeat

Jonny Wilkinson

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BACKGROUND

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• Clive Woodward: Why England are my favourites

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BACKGROUND

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• Steyn presents threat in close final

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• Robinson calls for 'one last push'

• Springboks unchanged for final

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• Josh Lewsey's video diary

• The Rugby World Cup blog

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But as the side overcame Samoa and Tonga before clinically disposing of Australia and France, the odds began to shorten. Yesterday bets on an English World Cup victory were changing hands on Betfair at a sober 2/1.

William Hill last night had England at 5/4 to win the tournament. A spokesman for the firm said: “England drifted out to 66/1 after they were thrashed by South Africa, with just one patriotic punter placing £150 at 66/1. He will collect just over £10,000 if England can win the final.”

A spokesman for Coral said: “We are preparing for the biggest week of patriotic punting in betting history with over half a billion pounds expected to be wagered across betting shop counters, all fuelled by the euphoria that has followed a great Saturday for English sport.”

The kicking heroics of Jonny Wilkinson have also sparked a flurry of bets on the fly-half landing the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Robin Hutchison, of Ladbrokes, said: “We were too busy emptying our piggy banks to pay out punters on England’s win to realise they were already recycling their winnings on Jonny.”

Lewis Hamilton, the racing driver, is 1/4 favourite to win the award.

Next best thing
Where to find a French open-air screen for the final:

Paris
Champ de Mars under Eiffel Tower
Place de l’Hotel de Ville
City Hall square
La Grande Arche de la Defense
La Defense business district west of the city centre

Other towns and cities
Toulouse
Nantes
Lyons
Bordeux
Montpellier
St Etienne
Beziers Perpignan