The Rugby World Cup pool stages are over and 12 teams are heading home, but not necessarily empty handed. Chris Rattue lists the Herald's pool play award winners.
Frank Sinatra Impossible Dream Award
Japan beat South Africa in rugby. Say it slowly, say it any way you like. It still sounds weird. Japan achieved the impossible in style, with a wonderful late try. For an impressive follow up, this result led to the largest single nation audience ever tuning in to a rugby World Cup game - an estimated 25 million viewers watched the Brave Blossoms beat Samoa.
The Prince Phillip award for one's foot inserted in one's mouth
Danny Cipriani - The former England flyhalf made the boastful claim before the group A pool match between Australia and England he wrote:
"If it all clicks together on Saturday, Australia won't have an answer.
Not one Australian would get into that England team right now."
Come to think of it, it would be nice to know what Prince Phillip does think about the World Cup. Those other Royals are so saccharine but Big Phil always has an interesting spin on things.
Jean van de Velde Meltdown Award
England. Fired fewer shots than the French golfer managed on one infamous British Open hole.
Anything you can do prize
New Zealand won acclaim for the way it hosted the 2011 tournament but the crowds at the stadiums in Britain have been amazing, even if the English Premier League still dominates the sports news over there...as it was always going to do.
Welsh whistler Nigel Owens had Scottish fullback Stuart Hogg's number, after he hit the deck against South Africa in the match at Newcastle's football ground.
"Dive like that again and you can come back here again in two weeks and play. Not today. Watch out!" he said in a sharp double put-down, of football and Hogg.
To be honest, this isn't a patch on Yogi's many, famous quotes. Yogi set very high standards. The former South African coach Peter 'I am going to pull a rat out of the hat' de Villiers was rugby's last great hope in this department. But it was a decent effort from Owens.
The Block Villa Wars tear it down and start again award - Man of the match selections
There have been odd choices and once again, England were on the receiving end when Joe Launchbury was named man of the match in the loss to Australia. Letting the public vote is about as dangerous as letting the TMO vote. Launchbury, who did have a strong game, was all class afterwards saying: "It was extremely strange to be named man of the match. It was embarrassing and it definitely won't go on the mantelpiece at home."
England - To have quarter-finals without the hosts is weird but they way England departed was even stranger. Captain Chris Robshaw went for a try instead of the tying goal against Wales, which is very un-English.
Sadly the cash-strapped Pacific Islands teams went the same way as England, with Tonga, Fiji and Samoa notching just one win each and dipping out before the quarter-finals. Unlike England's demise, this was no laughing matter.
Best newcomer (1)
The Australian scrum
If it's green and gold it's going to fold. Well think again. The Australians have turned up with a dynamo scrum and haven't sacrificed anything around the field to do so. The outstanding former Pumas frontrower Mario Ledesma is getting much of the credit, but Wallaby captain and hooker Stephen Moore is one heck of a leader.
Best newcomer (2)
Nehe Milner-Skudder
The fast-stepping All Black wing has been hard to handle, with plenty more in the tank.
Dancing by the stars award
Argentinian wing Santiago Cordero's 60m Tango down the touchline against Georgia was a thing of beauty.
Good guys don't always last award (1)
Men who have graced test rugby for many years - All Black Tony Woodcock, Ireland captain Paul O'Connell and South African captain Jean de Villiers - were brought down by severe injuries and have exited test rugby before the quarter-finals. Three great footballers deserved better luck.
Good guys don't always last award (2)
Japan were over-achievers winning three of their four pool games, yet didn't make the quarter-finals. They also deserved much better but were undone by a heavy defeat against Scotland, a game they had to play just four days after their mammoth effort against the Springboks.
Best try
Santiago Cordero's in-and-away against Georgia was a thing of beauty, and Waisake Naholo left his best touch till first at this tournament with his solo effort against the same opponent, but for sheer drama and pressure-handling, you cannot beat Japan's try, finished by Karne Hesketh, that beat the Boks.
The Michael Phelps prize for best in pools
The single most influential performance was by Australian No. 8 David Pocock. Rugby's super scavenger destroyed England at the breakdown, launching his team out of the Pool of Death and towards the quarter-finals.
