Local bragging rights will be at stake at Twickenham Stadium this coming Saturday when New Zealand take on arch-rivals Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final. History beckons for one of the two powerhouse nations as the winner gets the honor of being crowned the first three-time champions of this quadrennial event.
Who will emerge victorious in this blockbuster final? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this mouth-watering showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Bronze Final between Argentina and South Africa.
Australia will head to the Rugby World Cup final with momentum on its side after thrashing Argentina, 29-15, in the semifinals on Sunday. The Wallabies benefited from a fast start to book their place in their fourth final. A try by Rob Simmons within the first two minutes and a hat-trick from man of the match Adam Ashley-Cooper was enough to guarantee Australia victory at Twickenham.
[sc:Other240banner ]Things are bound to get tougher for the Wallabies as standing in their way in the final are their bitter rivals New Zealand. The Wallabies have only won one of their last 12 Tests against the All Blacks. Australia can take comfort in the fact, however, that their lone victory came six weeks before this World Cup, a terrific 27-19 win in Sydney.
For the Wallabies to record a major shock this coming Saturday, they will need back-rower David Pocock to continue his excellent play. He has been instrumental in Australia’s progress to the final, securing 14 turnovers in this year’s competition. That’s five more than his closest rival, Fiji’s Leone Nakarawa. He has managed to pull off that feat despite missing Australia’s victories over Wales and Scotland. He will need to be at his best, though, to slow a New Zealand forward line that has outscored the Wallabies by 10 tries in this tournament.
Equally vital for the Wallabies in this final match is fly-half Bernard Foley. He scored 15 penalties and racked up an impressive 75 points—over one-third of Australia’s 205 – in this year’s World Cup. The 26-year-old will need to improve on his consistency, though, after missing several clear-cut opportunities in the knockout games against Scotland and Argentina.
New Zealand’s quest for a second consecutive World Cup title is still very much alive after recording a nerve-wracking 20-18 victory over South Africa in the semifinals on Saturday. The All Blacks battled back from a five-point halftime deficit to seal their spot in their fourth final. It was a huge result for the All Blacks who have never won in their 21 previous Test matches against the Springboks when trailing at halftime.
It won’t get any easier, however, for the defending champions as standing in their way in the final is an in-form Australia side. The Wallabies have already scored nine tries in this tournament. To make matters worse for the All Blacks, they have a losing World Cup record against Australia.
That being said, the All Blacks will still fancy their chances against the Wallabies as they have fared extremely well against them in their overall head-to-head matchups. New Zealand has dominated this rivalry that dates back 112 years, winning 105 of the 154 official matches that it has played against Australia.
For the All Blacks to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy this coming Saturday, they will need Dan Carter to continue his solid play. The ever-reliable veteran has already bagged 63 points for the All Blacks in this tournament. He has now overtaken Grant Fox as New Zealand’s leading scorer in the Rugby World Cup, scoring a whopping 172 points in his career. It was his leadership and drop goal in the second half of the semifinals that propelled New Zealand to victory against South Africa.
The All Blacks also need to take advantage of Australia’s propensity to commit penalties. The Wallabies have given away 30 points in penalty goals in this tournament. The All Blacks will take heart in the fact as well that Nigel Owens will be the referee in this contest. The Wallabies have lost all three trans-Tasman Tests under Owens, and they have only won seven of 14 Tests under him in total. They haven’t won in their last six Tests outside of Australia under the Welsh official.
