Stuart, A very insightful and free of spite assessment. You are the best rugby journo out there

Andrie, Johannesburg,

Was Barnes watching the same game as I did last night? Did he not see some of the line outs we disrupted, won against the throw? I do wonder if Barnes was actually born in the southern hemishpere? Why does he have to be so negative about a team who put their heart and soul in to the game. Shaw and Kay both played very well and did do the basics right. Unfortunately we did some silly things and some unlucky decisions. Good teams create their own luck and SA did that last night. We nearly did but it just wasn't to be.
Barnes your comment about tries, with the most prolific of defences in the game you would struggle now. To Barnes it was all about Champagne rugby and whilst as a supporter I would like to see it, I care more about winning. As we learnt last night, tries are not easy to achieve even when I think there was nothing wrong with it. I didn't see SA scoring a try last night? However well done the boks and well done England. True courage and comittment from both teams.

james, London, UK

Losing is a part of all sport. But it is the sportsmanship displayed within rugby that sets it apart. Those of us who have played and enjoyed the game, as well as all the die hard fans will know, when that final whistle blows, all of the games indescretions are long forgotten by the players, and a heart felt hand shake is offered for opprtunity afforded by them to battle on that day regradless of who has won and who has lost.

Winning is also part of all sport and tribute should be paid to the winners by the players and media alike. By this I don't mean attributing the perceived misgivings of the officials as a reason why a team lost, but to give direct praise to the team that went out on the day and won.

I was disspointed by the 12 page spread which gave a huge, and deserved, tribute to the English team for a monumental effort, but fell a long way short in giving praise to the tournament champions.

A little more sportsmanship please!

Brian Mckenzie, Byfleet, Surrey

To all the people who slate Stuart's commentary i would simply say it could be an aweful lot worse - Eddie Butler on BBC!!!! And they've got the 6 nations until something like 2012 so we've got to hear his codswallop from Feb-March/April every year until then. I wish sky had the rights to 6 nations. Miles & Stuart are a FAR better commentary team than any which has Eddie Butler in it

Mike, London,

Yeah the Boks beat England at their own game. The Boks knew exactly what they have to do and they did it. That's the beauty of rugby and the beauty of a brilliant team,..they can adapt to whatever game the want to play. As for England I take my hat of to your capt. Vickery and the boys. They really did England proud by sending arrogant Aussies home and then France. England and South Africa are very much the same,...NEVER right them off buddy,..NEVER! They've got guts and big BALLS and that's what's needed to win worldcups. All Blacks have 1!!!??? worldcup to show and the BOKS didnt even play then!.Well Done BOKKE and England!

Morne Hoole, Knysna, South Africa

As a South African currently living in the UK I was utterly disappointed at the front page article in the Sunday Times yesterday. The article was about a journalist going out and finding a SA citizen making totally inappropriate racists remarks during his visit to the World Cup final in Paris. Any country unfortunally have people with these views and it is a sad sad day that the editor of the Times thought it to be the best thing to report about after this great sporting event. I cant' help as a South African to think that it is sour grapes on the side of the English, winning the world cup and seeing black and white people celebrating our countries success was a wonderful moment for me, there is still a lot to be done in SA but we need to celebrate the good things and progress that bring us together. I am convinced that the editor of the Times have no interest in celebrating the success of a nation for whom this victory has meant much much more than just being called world champions. A disillusioned South African who bought her last Times yesterday.

Susan Van Rensburg, Norhthampton, UK

Could I just ask Mike Bunn if this is the same Mbeki who wants to select a SA national rugby team on the grounds of race not skill and has done nothing but support Mugabe's violence and sectarianism in Zimababe.....only wish they had refused to shake hands with the .........Brown as well!!

George Anthony Thompson, Ustaritz,

Mr Barnes, if I remember correctly, approximately a month before the RWC during a Super14 game you stated the Boks would never win the World cup with percy montgomery at full-back. When questioned, you replied, as if fact, that the better teams would find him out under the high ball - a statement you repeated in the Sunday times before the Argentina semi-final.

Will you retract and apologise to Percival for those comments? Even with potentially torn knee ligaments he never buckled!

Paul Acutt, Esher, Surrey, UK

Springbok kickers may have destroyed England as much as Stuart Barnes destroyed commentary. Surely it is time he came to understand that the TV audience can see what's going on and do not require his often superfluous and opinianated views. Most times his input lead to one watching the screen whilst listening to a radio commentary of the game..

T.P.Bowtle, Crail, Fife

While Gordon Brown watched Jonny Wilkinson in a vain attempt to milk some political capital, his government called in for public enquiry the planning application by the club that introduced Jonny to the game (Farnham) to develop a new ground alongside a sports and leisure facility. The reason? There is a pile of gravel under the proposed site that HMG needs to complete its plans to build 10,000's houses in the South East.
We hear the government rail against youth obesity, yet it stands in the way of doing anything about it for the most obvious, self serving reasons.
Talk all you like about the match, with such rot at the heart of government, how can we hope to improve our sporting performance?

Mark Weeks, Aldershot, Hampshire