On my knees - Stephen Jones

On 22 November 2003, England enjoyed their most wondrous day of sporting glory since the 1966 football World Cup final. Inspired by the amazing Jonny Wilkinson, they won the Rugby World Cup, silencing anti-Pom Australia with a victory in the final in Sydney in one of the most exciting sporting contests ever staged. The reaction of the nation back at home, starved of sporting success, was remarkable - a crowd of 750,000 would later cheer the team's victory parade through the streets of London.This was more than a rugby victory. It put the northern hemisphere back in charge of the sport but also turned the tide against Australian sporting dominance and perhaps even lit a beacon for the revival of all England's national sporting teams. It was a triumph earned after years of meticulous planning, of relentless sweat and dedication, won in the cauldron of Down Under dislike of all things English. It elevated people like Wilkinson, coach Clive Woodward and the inspirational captain, Martin Johnson, into sporting legend. Stephen Jones followed the whole process and notably the final push, which began in August 2002 and ended in November 2003 with the climax of England's spectacular run in a World Cup tournament brilliantly hosted by Australia. Long-regarded as one of the sport's leading authorities, Jones reached a 20-year landmark as a Sunday Times writer, celebrated his 50th birthday during the tournament and found that Australian consultants wanted to stick needles in his eyes. The whole experience caused him to wonder if his own fascination with the sport and with life as a reporter would survive the long and cataclysmic sporting journey of following England; whether he would ever get used to the needles and whether there was a sporting tomorrow for a tired hack after covering the greatest match he was ever likely to see.