Rugby World Cup Final - New Zealand vs Australia

Six incredible rugby filled weeks have boiled down to this. Seemingly the greatest final there could have been as the two best teams before the tournament began have made it to Twickenham.

So who's going to win? In the spirit of the AB Enquirer, we have to go for The ABs. Australia are clear favourites though. Having beaten big teams all the way through, they're mentally honed for the task. In Pocock, Hooper, Fardy and McCalman, they have the standout loosies and have easily the best defence at the RWC conceding almost no tries against the big teams.

There'll be no shame in losing to this Aussie team if we do. They were the form team leading into the tournament, that form has continued, and they typically play well in England. They're an excellent unit with good leadership and management. Cheika has them pumped up and they have an amazing never say die attitude, reminiscent of Gandalf shouting in LOTR...


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Just getting to a final again is a massive achievement on our part, given our history of nerves in tournaments and less than stellar previous form in northern hemisphere tournies. But this year we have Ben and Aaron Smith, the experience of the retirees, Nonu, Conrad, McCaw and Carter, and the dazzling skills of Savea and Mulder Sculley to light up the game.

I was the only person in the world who predicted the last World Cup final would be an horrendously tight affair and it was. This on the other hand I expect to go slightly differently. If anything we are the more rested team with just the one massive game during the tournament so far, we have hardly been stretched consistently unlike Oz. We should have plenty left in the tank in the last 20 minutes to tear the game apart.

Will Carter last the game and stamp is mark on eternity. Or will he be the nearly man who broke down in every World Cup but everyone remembers him for that amazing 2005 year against the Lions? Will the GABEVER go down in history alongside Ma'a Nonu as the greatest centre combination ever? Will Savea break the single tournament try scoring record? Will Richie lift the cup again and go #BlacktoBlack? Will our scrum survive?

It's a nice day. No rubbish rain to dampen the spirits and take the pace out of the game. ABs by 10 at least.

LET'S GO ALL BLACKS!!!!!!!!