Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, England, Monday, 1st November, 3:00am AEDST
Australian TV: GEM, Fox Sports 2
New Zealand TV: Sky Sports
AFTER a tournament of the highest calibre, the two best teams in rugby meet at Twickenham on neutral soil to determine who rules the world.
Australia and New Zealand will fight it out for the first time in a Rugby World Cup final in the tournament’s history.
Not only will this be the first time that the Wallabies and All-Blacks have met at a World Cup final, but the winner of the match will be the first nation ever to win three RWC titles; with New Zealand also aiming to be the only team in history to go back-to-back in the tournament’s history.
This will be the second time in 2015 these two nations meet in a World Cup final, following the encounter in the ICC Cricket World Cup in March – a famous Australian victory.
The Wallabies will be hoping to emulate the feats of their cricketing counterparts, but toppling the All-Blacks is an onerous task. The number one-ranked All Blacks having only lost six times in the last 35 meetings with the Aussies.
Rugby World Cup Final odds
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
New Zealand – $1.41
The bookies have installed the world number one All-Blacks as heavy favourites going into the weekend’s decider at Twickenham, with the Australians drifting out to their longest price so far this tournament.
Recent head-to-head form
Despite the dominance that the All-Blacks have experienced over the Wallabies, the Aussies are a much-improved side and will take confidence in the fact that the match is played at a neutral venue.
The sides have met twice in 2015. The Australians won by eight points in Sydney in the first leg of the Bledisloe Cup. The All-Blacks made an emphatic statement at home in the return leg, crushing the Wallabies by 28 points.
In World Cups though it is the Australians who have dominated their Trans-Tasman counterparts.
Up until the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, the All-Blacks had never beaten the Wallabies in the tournament, with the Aussies knocking them out twice at the semi-final stage in both 1991 and 2003.
Where can I watch the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia?
Australians can watch the game on Foxtel on Fox Sports and on free-to-air TV on GEM.
New Zealanders can watch the game on Sky Sports.
Who will win the World Cup Final?
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
Winner: Australia $3.00
Line bet: Australia +6.0 $1.92
First try scorer: Adam Ashley-Cooper $12.00
Winning margin: Australia to win by 1-12 points $3.75
It is the ideal Rugby World Cup final scenario with the world number one New Zealand facing off against the second placed Australia to decide who will reign triumphant in 2015.
The All-Blacks and the Wallabies have never met at a RWC final and Sunday’s winner will be the first team in rugby to hoist the trophy for a record third time.
The stakes have never been higher between the Trans-Tasman rivals.
For the Wallabies, keeping focused and limiting the scoring of the All-Blacks is imperative.
New Zealand has outscored Australia throughout the tournament by 10 tries.
The All-Black’s defence has been remarkable too; with a meagre 20 points the highest amount they have conceded in 2015.
If being a dominant offensive and defensive team was not enough, the potential international retirements of captain Richie McCaw Dan Carter’s adds to the All-Blacks’ incentive to go back-to-back.
If Australia is to topple the All-Blacks, big performances will be needed from Bernard Foley and Israel Folau.
The man they call ‘The Iceman’ has been uncharacteristically wayward in his kicking, with Bernard Foley missing several opportunities against both Scotland and Argentina.
The winning penalty kick glossed over Foley’s troubles in front of the sticks; with Fox Sports rugby analyst Mark Gottlieb tweeting that ‘Bernard Foley could win Australia a World Cup with his head or he could lose it with his boot.’
With the limited opportunities that the All-Blacks hand out to their opposition, Foley will need to make the most of every kick he takes.
Folau is a different prospect altogether.
The normally spectacular 26-year old is experiencing a lacklustre tournament by his lofty standards.
The brilliant playmaker has battled an ankle aliment in the latter stages of the RWC, but the injury excuse has failed to soften the expectations on Folau, with the New Zealand media dubbing him a ‘liability’ in the Wallabies win over Argentina.
Both Foley and Folau will need to be at their best if Australia is to win the 2015 World Cup.
Australia has never lost a Rugby World Cup match on UK soil in the tournament’s history, and has a 2-1 record over New Zealand at the tournament.
The neutrality of the venue makes the final all the more intriguing too, with the Wallabies and All-Blacks meeting just four times in international matches away from their home counties, with the results split 2-2.
Their only meeting in a Rugby World Cup away from either Australia or New Zealand went the way of the Wallabies 16-6 way back in 1991 in Ireland.
It is set to be one of the fiercest World Cup finals in the history of the tournament.
Australia’s win over New Zealand earlier in the year proves the Wallabies no longer fear their Trans-Tasman counterparts to the extent they have in the past.
Expect the Wallabies to maintain their unblemished record in the UK at Rugby World Cups en route to hoisting the trophy for a record third time.
2015 form for the Wallabies and the All-Blacks
Both teams have had both sparkling RWC campaigns and amazing lead up form coming into England 2015, with ten wins and one loss apiece.
The only loss either team has had this year was the Bledisloe Cup loss in which both teams split the wins on opposition soil.
Australia’s Semi-Final win over Argentina handed the Wallabies their 10th win of the season, their best effort since 1999; the last time the Aussies hoisted the Cup.
The Wallabies have never lost in a World Cup tournament on UK soil, a run that extends back to 1991.
Australia and New Zealand are undefeated thus far in the 2015 Rugby World Cup and are both worthy finalists.
Keys to the match
New Zealand – Operation stop David Pocock
The All-Blacks kept a keen eye on the Wallabies’ terrific win over the Pumas in last week’s Semi-Final, and identified star Australian David Pocock as the man to stop ahead of the final at Twickenham.
New Zealand flanker Sam Cane said the All-Blacks will have a clear and direct plan to stop one of the world’s best openside flankers.
“He had another very strong game,” Cane said of Pocock.
“For us it’s pretty simple. We have to get our ball carries right and focus on the urgency of our cleaners, that’s what we have to do to the best of our ability.
“If we get that right hopefully we can nullify the amount of times he gets on the ball.”
New Zealand’s answer to Pocock, All-Black captain Richie McCaw will be looking to exert just as much of an influence in what could very well be the final test in his glittering career.
New Zealand journalist and Rugby expert Dylan Cleaver speculated throughout the week on the motivations for the All-Blacks heading into the final at Twickenham.
“This is almost certainly McCaw’s last test,” Cleaver wrote.
“Would any of the other 22 All Blacks on the same pitch as him ever be able to look him in the eye again if they didn’t give every shred of energy to his 148th and final outing?”
Cleaver rated Richie McCaw ahead of Aussie David Pocock in his power ratings in this RWC, and said while stopping the Wallabies’ number 8 is imperative; it is not a futile endeavour.
“Yes, he’s dangerous, but far from unstoppable.”
Australia – Can the Wallabies play 80 minutes of focused footy?
Despite having a fantastic 2015 Rugby World Cup, the Australians have struggled to maintain their intensity across the full 80 minutes in almost every game this tournament.
While their win against Argentina was terrific and virtually comprehensive, they only lead by six points for most of the second half.
The Wallabies’ lack of run in the final 15 minutes left the door open for the Pumas to snatch victory late in the piece, but they were able to shut the Argentinians out through stout defending.
Aside from their own intensity issues, the final will be a hotly contested one for the All-Blacks due to the imminent retirements of captain Richie McCaw and favourite son Dan Carter.
Dan Carter in particular will be setting himself to have a big impact in the final, having never played in a Rugby World Cup final.
Carter was left out in 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals, and heartbreakingly missed the victory in 2011 with a groin injury.
The All-time leading international points scorer is motivated to make his final international appearance at a Rugby World Cup a memorable one.
“You could probably see the emotion after the game. It’s my fourth World Cup and I’ve never been involved in a World Cup final before so I’m pretty excited about that and can’t wait to get into training this week and prepare as well as we possibly can,” Carter said.
“It’s why we’re here: to win back-to-back World Cups. We’ve given ourselves that chance by reaching the final but it’s not done yet. There is still a huge task in front of us.”
The 33-year old was pivotal in his side’s win over South Africa.
Carter kicked a vital drop goal shortly after the half time break, as well as an expertly taken conversation kick after Beauden Barrett’s match defining try.
With the added motivation, the Wallabies will need to be focused and aggressive from start to finish against the All-Blacks.
Possible starting line-ups
All Blacks: Joe Moody, Dane Coles, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (captain), Kieran Read, Aaron Smith, Dan Carter, Julian Savea, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ben Smith.
Wallabies: Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (captain), James Slipper, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock, Will Genia, Bernard Foley, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau.
