The cup that has hung so limply from English hands over the past four years had finally to be ripped from their grasp. But the passing of a trophy has also brought to an end the passing of a generation and the signs in the Stade de France on Saturday night were of a new England eager to take up the challenge.

South Africa won the World Cup for the second time and deservedly so. The nation will be in love with the number 15, not only for its obvious connection with rugby but also because twice it has been enough to bring home the Webb Ellis Cup, first in the 15-12 extra-time final of 1995, when there were also no tries.

The Springboks demonstrated that maybe it does take a little longer than four weeks to throw together a team able to conquer the world. Theirs started when Jake White was appointed coach four years ago and has grown individuals capable of playing a better all-round game than England and a more effective one than New Zealand, Australia or France.

There cannot have been a better individual display in a match of such significance than that of Victor Matfield, the Blue Bulls lock. From the opening two lineouts, which England lost on their own throw, he was jumping, running, even kicking, but always thinking and for a second-row forward to pull off the tackle that prevented Mathew Tait scoring beggars belief.

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South Africa looked like a team who had prepared for four years, England like a team who had prepared for four weeks

Simon Barnes

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Background

• It’s widely known that I’m teetotal. I broke the habit on this occasion

• England take heart from brave new pretenders

• How England rated

• Miracle men suffer dose of reality

Background

• England's future rosy, but is Ashton included?

• Toulon wait for Springboks master

• IRB aims to secure future not just for kicks

• South Africans urged to grasp chance for change

Background

• Springboks dominate awards

• Boks on top in brutal battle

• Springbok kickers destroy England

• Ashton merits credit for glorious run

Background

• It's over: dream dies as Boks win Rugby World cup

• Boks kill the unlikely dream

• Brave England go down with pride

• Video ref made 'brilliant decision’

Background

• So who ate all the croissants?

• Au revoir France

• Victory whoops of the rainbow warriors

• Mrs Mills solves all your rugby problems

Background

• English roses fall for Saint Jonny

• Stodgy England confine Bryan Habana

• Still joking about the All Blacks and Wallabies

• Wheels come off the chariot

Multimedia

• The World Cup Podcast

• Josh Lewsey's video diary

• The Rugby World Cup blog

Would England have won if Stuart Dickinson, the video referee, had not decided that Mark Cueto’s left foot was in touch a second before he reached over in the left-hand corner three minutes into the second half? Cueto was sure that it was a fair try, the conversion of which would have given his side a one-point lead. There was plenty of time left, but England have shown how dogged they can be in defence of a lead and breaching South Africa’s line would have lifted their spirits.

It was a crucial decision, as was the award of a penalty against Ben Kay, apparently for obstruction, as Toby Flood ran out of defence. It allowed François Steyn to kick, from 48 metres, what White described as “the most important three points he will score in his life”. It gave South Africa a nine-point cushion that allowed them to sit back in a tight match and defend against the best that England could throw at them, and that best was never going to be good enough.

But look at the youthful thread running through this England team. They lost through injury so much experience — Phil Vickery, Jason Robinson, Mike Catt and finally Joe Worsley, 251 caps between them — and played a flotsam and jetsam back line for the last half-hour. Yet Tait, Flood and Dan Hipkiss kept hopes alive until the final blow, a lineout eight metres from South Africa’s line, stolen by Juan Smith on England’s throw. They have learnt so much from their involvement here that you have to believe they will be central not only to the new England that will be rebuilt in the coming months but to a new era of back play.

Martin Corry, who led his little girl, Eve, by the hand round the stadium as England acknowledged the supporters who have given them so much, was one of those who had said beforehand that the wins over Australia and France would mean nothing if England could not finish by becoming the first team to retain the cup. He was wrong; it has meant everything to players and fans alike that England should lift their heads and play with the character that, in the early pool matches against the United States and South Africa, seemed to have gone.

However, the phase where England believed themselves to be relatively secure, the lineout, crumbled. Seven throws were lost and they did not make the impact at the set scrums that they had hoped, so that although they dominated territory, they did not, in White’s phrase, “ask questions of our defence”. Tellingly, Steyn did. The youngest player in South Africa’s colours was far from perfect, but his size and speed gave him the capacity to break tackles that England, through Tait, showed only once.

Frustratingly, Tait conceded the first points when he slipped and was penalised on the ground. One pass more would have given room to England’s two quick men, Robinson and Paul Sackey, even though they were deep in defence, but Tait seemed caught in a moment of indecision. Nor was Percy Montgomery’s second penalty a forced error but the result of a trip by Lewis Moody on Butch James.

In between, Jonny Wilkinson kicked an acutely angled goal, but as South Africa laid siege to England’s line shortly before the interval, the champions’ defence did well to lose only three points, to Montgomery’s third penalty. Tait’s quick feet then created England’s only tryscoring chance. He danced between Steyn and Jaque Fourie and swerved away from Montgomery only to be caught four metres from the line.

His forwards piled in and Wilkinson’s brilliant flip-pass gave Cueto sight of the corner, but Danie Rossouw’s last-ditch tackle was just enough to keep the line intact. Wilkinson’s penalty was limited compensation, but Corry gave Montgomery another shot at goal when he was called offside and the full back, the only man to pass 100 points in the tournament, responded well.

Steyn’s long-range goal was the final nail, bravely though England tried to break the green wall. They found tries hard to come by in France, but they were the ones who had to play to recover lost ground. White has long been convinced that defences win matches and the result justified everything he has done, not only in this tournament but throughout his distinguished and dignified tenure. He and John Smit, the captain, have earned their place in the sun.