31 Oct 2015

Pundits, predictions, pre-game rituals

1:45 pm on 31 October 2015

Pre-Rugby World Cup final nerves? Spare a thought for the All Blacks and Wallabies.

Their - and here comes the J-word - 'journey' is nearly complete.

Both teams will be hoping for a victory to celebrate and the chance to bring the cup home.

Both teams will be hoping for a victory to celebrate and the chance to bring the cup home. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

For some, tomorrow morning's match is the end of the road; the full-stop to their international careers. No semi-colons to provide an elegant pause before more; just the end.

Luckily, we've still got the world's rugby pundits and former stars to help us divine the possible outcome.

As we have done throughout this week, we turn to them again to provide us with a quantum of solace.

The Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward writes that the final represents "arguably the greatest single-day exodus of talent in the history of team sports". Heck.

The departing champions: Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Keven Mealamu (clockwise).

The departing champions: Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Keven Mealamu (clockwise). Photo: Photosport

"Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Keven Mealamu all emerged around the time England became world champions in 2003.

"Their bid to become union's first back-to-back World Cup winners combines epic mission with pained goodbye.

"For the All Blacks the task is to use the melodrama of mass-retirement day without being overwhelmed by it to Australia's advantage."

Graham Henry and Richie McCaw after the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.

Graham Henry and Richie McCaw after the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. Photo: Photosport

Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry believed the retirements won't have been "mentioned because it is a distraction from the focus of the build-up and the team always comes first".

Controlling nerves is the biggy.

"I used to dread the wait, wide awake at 4.30am and the match didn't start until 8pm: more than 15 hours to go and absolutely nothing to do apart from a walk-through for the team for 30 minutes around four hours before kickoff," Henry said.

"The players do their own thing and will have an individual game-day ritual. I used to have a three-hour walk with my wife Raewyn on the morning of a match.

"In 2011 I spent the night at home prior to the final and then we walked around the waterfront in Auckland; people were looking at me thinking why isn't he with the team, but there is nothing you can do but wait and you are only a phone call away."

Former All Black Zinzan Brooke and Wallaby David Campese predicted a "cracking final".

For Campo, it would all be about the McCaw vs Pocock battle at, yes, you guessed it, the breakdown.

Brooke believed the All Blacks' retirees would prove the difference.

"I think we're a little bit ahead of Australia, just through the experience these guys have got, what they have done and what they can do."

He has faith but only a little bit, picking the All Blacks by three or four points.

Which brings us pretty close to our earlier prediction - "Tune in tomorrow, when someone will no doubt say: 'There will only be a few points in it'."

And as for the final prediction: Tune in tomorrow, when the team with the most points will be crowned World Cup winners.

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