Dawn breaks on the eve of the final to reveal a waxwork figure of Jonny Wilkinson upon a plinth in Trafalgar Square

Meanwhile, in the Stade de France the lone figure of Wilkinson prepares for the final in his usual meticulous manner

Operatic quartet Blake get fans in the mood with a rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot at Waterloo's Eurostar terminus

A huge England shirt winds its way along the River Seine in central Paris as the atmopshere builds in the French capital

Back in London, England fans complete with berets and baguettes prepare for their journey under the Channel

Merchandise for the final is already flooding Parisian streets with well over 24 hours remaining until kick-off

England coach Brian Ashton relaxes outside his Paris hotel ahead of his final press conference before the final

Ticketless fans already in Paris make every effort to get hold of any spare tickets outside the Gare du Nord

Phil Vickery chats to the large media contingent gathered at the team's hotel as he prepares to lead England into the final

South Africa president Thabo Mbeki boards a flight from Johannesburg as he heads to Paris for the final

Kit technician Dave Tennison uses his hotel room to prepare the shirts that England's stars will wear in the final

Fancy dress is order of the day as fans of both South Africa and England pour through Waterloo on their way to France

One lucky fan displays his ticket for the final while others seem prepared to pay thousands of pounds to gain a seat

The South African players and support staff take part in a group photo at the team's base in Paris

Fans are in high spirits as they flood into Gare du Nord in Paris with an evening of nervous tension ahead of them

Across the city, France and Argentina fans gather for the third-place play-off match

But anyone thinking it is a meaningless match are wrong as the two teams tear into each other from kick-off

France begin at a million miles an hour but Argentina shock the hosts when Felipe Contepomi scores the first try

Argentina lead 17-3 at the break and France skipper Raphael Ibanez is rattled - and sin-binned for illegal rucking

The Pumas score three more times in the second half and end up convincing winners and third in the World Cup