Gregan drinks from the trophy. (Getty Images)

By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent

Wales, the 1999 World Cup hosts, had a tough act to follow after South Africa's mighty effort four years previously.

Their imperious Millennium Stadium rugby home was packed to the rafters for an opening game between Wales and Argentina.

Wales, coached by the astute and successful New Zealander Graham Henry, won 23-18, but their back-row forward Colin Charvis was subsequently cited and banned for foul play, together with Pumas prop Roberto Grau.

Wales went on to crush Japan, but they lost again in a World Cup battle with Samoa, although it didn't prevent them securing a quarter-final berth.

Sparse crowds were a disappointing factor of South Africa's pool, which was staged in Scotland and featured World Cup debuts for Spain and Uruguay. The Springboks finished top, yet those empty spaces raised many questions.

England, coached by Clive Woodward, once again found New Zealand - and Jonah Lomu too hot to handle.

A pivotal game saw England, who won their other pool matches against Italy (67-7) and Tonga (101-10), beaten 30-16 and sent into the quarter-final play-offs, which would mean a demanding extra midweek match.

France and Australia enjoyed relatively trouble-free passages to the last eight, while play-off games saw England beat Fiji 45-24, Scotland defeat Samoa 35-20 and a hugely impressive Argentina side shock Ireland 28-24 in Lens.

England then had to travel to Paris for a quarter-final appointment with South Africa just four days later.

They had little left in the tank, and Jannie De Beer's world record five drop-goals underpinned a resounding 44-21 defeat.

Wales also went out, beaten 24-9 by Australia, while France sent Argentina packing and New Zealand were too good for a gritty Scottish side at Murrayfield.

The semi-finals proved wonderfully contrasting affairs. Australia needed extra-time to beat South Africa 27-21 at Twickenham in a match of no tries, but one of intriguing tactical chess.

For the rugby purist, it was vintage entertainment.

France were given little chance against the All Blacks, and when a Lomu-inspired New Zealand stormed into a 24-10 lead at Twickenham, there could surely be no way back.

Wrong.

France, playing pure fantasy rugby, scored 26 points in a devastating 13-minute spell, and the rugby world was turned on its head.

Those who were there will never forget it - no other team on the planet could have produced such sublime brilliance.

The final - Australia beat France 35-12 - was a predictable anti-climax.

The Wallabies though, were crowned world champions for a second time, and in 2003, they could again be the team that everyone has to beat.