Monday, 15th October 2007 at 11:26 am

Final deja vu for Springboks

If Fiji was an exercise in near cardiac arrest for most of South Africa, then Argentina was a realtive stroll through to a World Cup final that completely overshadows anything else that might be happening on the planet this week. Jacob Zuma and Paris Hilton could get engaged in Baghdad, and the front pages wouldn’t bat an eyelid: it’s rugby, rugby, and more rugby this week, with the mantle of World Champions 80 alluring minutes away.

The cruise past Argentina (who could muster just two Contepomi penalties and a Tony Spreadbury try) is hardly a sign of what’s in store, however, and neither is the result earlier in the World Cup against the team we meet in the final. 36-0 in the pool game suggested England would struggle to make the quarters - but having got past Tonga, they just held off the Wallabies, and then snuck in against France to somehow make the final. Who would have thought three weeks ago…

The turnaround - and the reason why a similar romp simply won’t happen this weekend - is twofold. First and foremost, Jonny Wilkinson is back at ten, and has played architect in England’s sudden revival. His kicking hasn’t been perfect - rugby mirroring football in producing World Cup balls that cause plenty of controversy - but he’s nailed the ones that have mattered, no more so than in the final minutes against France.

And then (deep breath, South Africans), there’s Mike Catt. Cheerfully derided ever since Jonah Lomu ran over him in 1995, the South African-born back wasn’t in the original World Cup squad, but injury now has him directing the backline from inside centre. A shrewd rugby brain coupled with loads of experience makes him the quiet star of England’s resurgence - and a man South Africa will be watching carefully come Saturday’s final.