21/10/2007 09:00

"If you're an Englishman it definitely was a try," England veteran Lawrence Dallaglio said. "If you're a South African it definitely isn't. It's one of those 50-50 decisions."

At that point in the match, England trailed 9-3 and had Cueto's try been awarded in the left corner -and been converted by Jonny Wilkinson - England would have led by a point.

"Of course it was (a try)," Cueto said. "As a player you get instincts, and nine times out of 10 those instincts are right."

Cueto's moment came after a strong burst through midfield from Matthew Tait, who looked certain to score until second row Victor Matfield caught him with a brilliant tackle.

The ball was whipped left to Wilkinson, who palmed it onto Cueto and he touched down despite being tackled by Danie Rossouw.

"When I went over that try line I knew it was a try. You know sometimes it isn't a try and it's awarded and you don't complain then," said Cueto, who was playing in place of the injured Josh Lewsey. "You could see that the ball was grounded well.

"At that point we were six points behind and if we'd gone a point up it could have been the game (won)."

Knife edge

The debate was about whether he had a foot out of play when he touched down.

The biggest decision of the match went against England in a game dominated by penalty kicks - four for Percy Montgomery, one for Francois Steyn and two for Wilkinson.

"It was a second row that caught me, which makes it more embarrassing," Tait said, reflecting on the tackle that held him up. "It's disappointing that we've not been awarded that try in the corner. We're bitterly disappointed its not been given. It's a vital time of the game and if we'd gone over then it would have been a totally different ball game."

Springboks captain John Smit was relieved the close call went in his team's favor in such a tense match.

"I'm pretty happy about the decision," Smit said. "The game was played on a knife edge. (There was) not much in the decision. It could have won the game."

England's George Chuter said the disallowed try was like "a kick in the pants" for the players.

But he also accepted that England was dominated in the lineout and that South Africa played the more clever rugby.

"When you get to a final, you expect to win," Chuter said. "It's pretty painful, but we're grown up and we'll take it on the chin. They (South Africa) executed their game plan very well. It (losing the lineouts) really was a key area. I think that was where the game was won and lost."

Jones

But the question on every player's mind, and every English fan in the Stade de France or back home, was whether England had a valid score disallowed.

"Well yeah, me and many millions of others," England scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall said. "I'm sure it will be debated for quite some time. I think the whole of the UK thought it was a try.

"Had we got that try, it's a different story."

Eddie Jones, the losing Australia coach when England won the 2003 World Cup, took a different view. As one of the assistants to South Africa coach Jake White, that wasn't surprising.

"Obviously it was a tough decision but he had to make a call," Jones said.

"I thought it was out, definitely, definitely because his foot touched the ground before he placed it. But I had a Springbok tracksuit on."