Three Coaches Whose Stock Rose
1: Jamie Joseph [Japan]
The former Highlanders head coach finished the World Cup as a strong candidate to take over the All Blacks from Steve Hansen.
Japan played with an energy, speed, skill level and understanding that was breathtaking. They beat two Six Nations to top Pool A and they pushed South Africa in the quarter-final.
Their discipline and commitment was off the charts and Joseph and his assistant, Tony Brown, clearly have a gift at getting the most out of teams.
2: Rassie Erasmus [South Africa]
It was a smart campaign from the Boks and Erasmus masterminded it. He selected wisely and cleverly managed to pick his troops up after their first round loss to the All Blacks.
He did that by getting them to see that they weren't under as much pressure as they thought they were and their dedication to the jersey was impressive.
Also, the way they peaked to play their best game in the final was critical.
3: John Mitchell [England]
England may have come up short at the tournament but their defence was superb all tournament – even in the final they still defended with a bit of venom.
And defence was Mitchell’s brief. He may not be well suited to a head coaching role, but he’s certainly got something to offer as a defence specialist.