World Cup braced for second superpower showdown

PARIS : It seems remarkable that the two nations whose very identity is defined by rugby are meeting in a World Cup final for only the second time on Saturday but one of New Zealand and South Africa will emerge as historical top dog with a record fourth triumph.

As South African fans are never slow to remind everybody, the World Cup's statistics are slightly skewed by the absence of the Springboks from the first two, due to their sporting isolation because of Apartheid.

That means that should they triumph on Saturday they will have an incredible 50 per cent success rate - four finals from eight tournaments.

New Zealand won the inaugural event in 1987 then became the first to win back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2015 - an achievement defending champions South Africa are also desperate to emulate.

Their previous final meeting was in 1995, the first World Cup South Africa were allowed into. The Springboks triumphed 15-12 after extra time to produce one of the most iconic images in the history of sport, and of their nation, when President Nelson Mandela presented the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar.

There was one black player, Chester Williams, in that team but 28 years on the sport in South Africa is truly multicultural and is epitomised by black captain Siya Kolisi, who is seeking to emulate Richie McCaw in lifting the trophy twice.

That wider picture, however, is for the future as the respective teams focus on the more immediate task of trying to impose their quality and tactics over 80 minutes on Saturday.

CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

South Africa have reverted to their controversial policy of a bench of seven forwards and one back, throwing all their chips behind the belief that their forward power, supplemented by the 'bomb squad'