Literally inches, as Mathew Tait and Mark Cueto will testify.
And, by twisted irony, England’s downfall was plotted by a midfield general called Montgomery. Oh, and an Aussie of course.
In the Battle of the Boot, Percy Montgomery proved to be king on a night supposedly made for Prince Jonny.
And the one time the redoubtable Boer resistance wavered, video referee Stuart Dickinson – four years on from seeing England beat his boys to the title in his hometown – rode to South Africa’s rescue.
Cueto will forever curse Dickinson for denying his touchdown in the corner.
And Tait may reflect for four more years on the moment seconds earlier when his sublime shimmy, shuffle and sprint through the middle of the enemy defence was ended within sight of the Springbok line.
But he, above all Englishmen, could draw immense pride in defeat.
Many a veteran would have wilted after gifting the opposition the opening penalty in a World Cup final, but this 21-year-old dug deep to emerge emphatically as England’s best hope of salvation – both on the night and for the future.
Wolsingham folk can walk taller than ever this morning.
But then so too anyone who has warmed to Brian Ashton’s second-chance heroes.
They may not – at least, not quite – have joined Rocky Balboa, Buster Douglas, that lad David from the good book and the Greeks at Euro 2004 in the pantheon of underdogs.
But heroes they undoubtedly were, even in defeat.
This was a match they had barely any business being in, let alone being in a position to win it until Tait’s fellow wonderboy Francois Steyn bombed their hopes from long-range.
They say second is nowhere in sport. But England’s journey from nowhere – where South Africa left them 37 days ago after a 36-0 defeat – to second in the world proves they know nothing.
Somehow, though the final hurdle proved just too tall, our World Cup journey this time has been more heartwarming than last.
Tales of the unexpected can be like that.
The hope now can be that next time, England can expect.
