ENGLAND star Ben Kay, in association with Tetley's, Official Beer of England Rugby, looks back on the incredible win over Australia.

FABULOUS. Amazing. Incredible. What more can you say about winning the World Cup?

I feel so proud to have been part of the squad that brought back the first World Cup to England since 1966 and honoured to have been given the opportunity to play in the final against Australia.

The atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely incredible, thousands upon thousands of England fans who out-cheered, out-sung, and out-shone the Aussies on their home turf.

And what a game it was. People are already saying that was one of the greatest matches of all time. It must be right up there.

When the Wallabies scored through Lote Tuqiri early on some people might have thought our heads would go down but that would never happen with this England team.

Instead we came right back at them and turned a 5-0 deficit into a 14-5 lead by half-time.

It could have been more if yours truly had not fluffed the easiest chance to score a try when I dropped the ball and knocked on a couple of metres short of the Aussie try line. In my defence it's very rare I find myself in those kind of positions!

I have taken plenty of ribbing from the boys already and I don't expect they will let me forget it in a hurry. I am just grateful it did not have a bearing on the final result.

For that you can thank Jason Robinson for his brilliant first-half try and Jonny Wilkinson for his amazing golden boots.

Our second-half performance wasn't that great in that we failed to add any more points and let the Wallabies come back to level terms.

At extra time though there was no panic: we knew what we had to do and that was stay calm and just play rugby. Jonny gave us our extra time lead but Elton Flatley, who was kicking very well for the Wallabies, brought them back to 17-17 with a minute and a half to go.

Matt Dawson made a break, Johnno took the ball up and we got it out to

Jonny who banged it over for a drop goal off his 'wrong' right boot.

That was the second sweetest thing I have ever seen on a rugby field.

The sweetest came a minute later when the ball was banged into touch and Andre Watson blew his whistle to end the game.

Cue scenes of unbridled joy and huge celebration. It was the most extraordinary atmosphere I have ever experienced.

I don't know what it's been like back home but it's been a hell of an experience for everyone out here.

I can't wait to get back now and meet up with family and friends again and rest assured I will be finding a special place on my mantelpiece for my World Cup winners' medal . . . assuming I have not dreamt the whole thing.