New Zealand and Australia will battle it out at Twickenham on Saturday for the right to be called World Champions, and former All Black Sean Fitzpatrick says the performance of Richie McCaw will be key.
The All Blacks will be looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles and follow up their win on home soil in 2011 with their first ever World Cup title away from home.
Australia last won the tournament in 1999 but have an impressive record in the northern hemisphere having only lost one World Cup game on this side of the world.
Former New Zealand skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, who won the World Cup with New Zealand back in 1987, believes the current All Blacks team is the best prepared side ever and says their final experience could be vital.
"We have the two best teams in tournament - certainly the two best attacking teams," said Fitzpatrick.
"Everyone gets a little tenser in a World Cup final and one of the huge advantages that New Zealand have is that they have a number of players who have played in a World Cup final before.
"Australia only have one player in Matt Giteau [who came off the bench in 2003] so for the other 14 players it is all new to them so it may all come down to that experience factor."
World class
Experience may well be a factor but Fitzpatrick says Australia have plenty of players to cause the All Blacks problems and expects senior players to step up.
"If you were picking World XV tomorrow there would be a number of Australians in that team," said Fitzpatrick.
"Their backrow has been the backrow of the tournament. David Pocock, Michael Hooper and for the me the unsung hero Scott Fardy have been outstanding. That concerns me.
"Normally I would sit down and go through both teams and pick who I would prefer to have - there would usually be 15 All Blacks which gives you a good chance of winning, but you look at this Australian teams and you would probably have four or five of them. Scott Sio has been outstanding and loosehead, Sekope Kepu has been phenomenal at tighthead. That is five already.
"The New Zealand forwards have a massive job to do on Saturday and for me the breakdown is the key area. Richie McCaw is going to have to play the game of his life unfortunately for him, along with Jerome Kaino - traditionally the Aussies don't like Kaino so he needs to really step up and bring that physical presence to the game.
"Then we would see a Kieran Read playing in the way he can, but the only way he is going to do that is if McCaw and Kaino especially, do their job."
Preparation the key
The final will be decided on fine margins and Fitzpatrick paid tribute to the New Zealand coaching staff who have done a wonderful job in preparing their team for any possibility.
"The All Black coaching staff have done a phenomenal job off the field in planning," added Fitzpatrick, who won 92 caps for New Zealand.
"I have liked the way the All Blacks especially have worked teams out. The way they took the French out of the game and last week against South Africa they were phenomenal, I just loved the way they worked out how to shut down the South Africans. I think the score was flattering to South Africa, I thought New Zealand were a lot better team than that score."
While Richie McCaw is not confirming that he will be retiring after the final, Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith will be and Fitzpatrick says they will be looking for a world cup send-off.
"There are four or five players who will never play for New Zealand again after the final and they are phenomenally good All Blacks," said Fitzpatrick.
"Some of the best players to have graced our field in the last ten years - 14 years in Richie McCaw's case. I would love nothing better for him and the others to go out on the top of their game and to win back-to-back World Cups.
"But at the end of the day if we don't win - and I think this is where we have matured just a little bit - this All Blacks team have prepared better than any other team I have ever seen, they have been so committed and if they don't win at least they gave everything and were beaten by the better team.
"You have to take your hat off to Australian's - 12 months ago you would never have picked that they would be playing in a world Cup final. Also don't forget that 10-12 weeks ago they beat the All Blacks in Sydney quite easily.
"I think we have the ultimate final that we wanted and both these teams could win."