1987New Zealand set the tone for a tournament they would dominate by demolishing Italy 70-6 in the inaugural World Cup game played at a half-empty Eden Park in Auckland. Wing John Kirwan's astounding 70-metre solo try remains one of the World Cup's great moments, but the pool stages hardly came alive elsewhere, although England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland all progressed.
The Scots bowed out at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, where Grant Fox kicked 22 points in a 30-3 victory for the All Blacks, while tries from Robert Jones, John Devereux and Gareth Roberts eased Wales past a poor England outfit, with Ireland falling to Australia and France crushing Fiji. The semi-finals - played in Australia - could hardly have proved more contrasting affairs. New Zealand smashed Wales 49-6, yet all the drama was reserved for Sydney's Concord Oval where a dramatic late Serge Blanco try decided an epic encounter and accounted for the Wallabies.
Wales secured third place by pipping Australia in Rotorua, but the final went emphatically to form as David Kirk's All Blacks defeated France 29-9 back at Eden Park, the ground where it all began four weeks earlier.
Competing countries: Australia, England, USA, Japan, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Italy, Argentina, France, Scotland, Romania, Zimbabwe.
Winners - New Zealand, 2nd - France, 3rd - Wales, 4th - Australia.
Font size