Tuesday 27 October 2015 12:30, UK
After five weeks of intense competition just two teams remain in the battle to be crowned rugby World Cup champions.
New Zealand and Australia will battle it out at Twickenham on Saturday in what is expected to be a superb final as the two in-form teams have seen off all opposition.
The All Blacks were impressive in their narrow 20-18 win against South Africa in the semi-final, while Australia's last-four tie was just as brutal as they beat Argentina 29-15.
New Zealand and Australia have played each other twice already this year - Australia won 27-19 in Sydney but a week later were beaten 41-13 in Auckland - and while they are used to playing each other every year, the build-up this week will be something completely different.
"Ahead of the final you are hardly doing any training, you are just crossing T's and dotting I's," said Greenwood who won the World Cup in 2003 with England.
"By in large they will be super relaxed and wonderfully excited. They will know that they are in a World Cup final. The nerves will build midweek.
"So at the start of the week you are loving life. Get to midweek and you want it to be Saturday. Saturday is then the longest day ever - you wake up 5am and wonder if it is time yet. You have to sit there and contain those emotions and often the side who can contain those emotions is the side who can find themselves in the final minutes having that composure of thought.
"It is an amazing week and whatever happens they will remember this week for the rest of their lives.
"From the coaches, well it is a cuddly sort of week - they will not be beating them with a stick, they have done amazingly well to get here and they all want to win the next one. So it's a constant affirmation of everything that they have been doing. They will tweak a few bits and do some video analysis on the opposition and try and find something to bring to the part that the opposition won't be expecting - although no one is reinventing the wheel this week."
Destiny awaits
With the likes of Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu set to announce their international retirement after this tournament, there is a lot being written about their destiny - especially surrounding Carter who feels he has unfinished business with the World Cup.
The talismanic fly-half missed out in 2003 and 2007 and, despite winning a winners medal in 2011, was ruled out for much of the tournament with an injury. Greenwood believes it would be a great ending to Carter's international career but says that another player also has something to prove this World Cup.
"There is a sub-plot, in 2003 there was a very young man who came off the bench in the World Cup final who was also denied a winners medal - Matt Giteau was there 12 years ago," added Greenwood.
"We can talk about McCaw in 2007 and getting his champagne moment in 2011 and we can talk about Dan Carter missing his moment - yes, he did get a winners medal, but I know what these top level sportsmen are like and he would have wanted to have been out there when the win took place.
"There is a bit of romance from both sides, the romanticist in me has sided slightly more with Carter's story but Giteau will on fire and what a match-up against Ma'a Nonu - who was also playing in 2003 World Cup."
Backing the men in black
Greenwood has been highly impressed with what Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has achieved since taking over in 2014, however still believes that the All Blacks will make history on Saturday.
"What Cheika has done is quite sensational in such a short space of time," said Greenwood.
"Mental toughness, physical toughness, sharp in terms of their attacking game and their combinations working beautifully well.
"Up until the game in Sydney, I think New Zealand could have chosen to stand in the tunnel and go: 'we beat these guys; more often than not and this is our Bledisloe Cup and we have had it for seemingly forever.'
"That win for Australia in Sydney, the tactics that they employed - the scavengers they had across the field, the pace they played the game at - and will have given NZ food for thought.
"However I just think this is about the men in black; this is what they have been about it for four years. Hansen has been driven by this, McCaw has been driven by this. Carter thinks it is his destiny.
"It will be an absolute humdinger of a final on Saturday but I have always thought that New Zealand would win this World Cup and I will stick with my original thoughts. New Zealand will lift the trophy."
