New Zealand have named an unchanged team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final against Australia at Twickenham, meaning five All Blacks stalwarts can end their Test careers with glory.
The New Zealand coach Steve Hansen keeps faith with the squad that battled to a 20-18 semi-final victory over South Africa. The captain Richie McCaw can go down as the greatest captain of all time by helping New Zealand become the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
McCaw will most likely call time on his record-breaking Test career after the weekend, while Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Keven Mealamu have already confirmed the World Cup showpiece as their last in All Blacks colours.
New Zealand’s hard-nosed and high-quality quintet will surely end Saturday’s showdown with a combined caps haul of 486 – four will start, with Mealamu among the replacements – and will hope to end the weekend with a second straight World Cup crown.
The wing Nehe Milner-Skudder is the only member of New Zealand’s 23 with a single-figure caps total.
Hansen said: “We came here as contenders for the World Cup, just like everyone else. In our minds we have never been defenders.
“We knew we would have to earn the right to progress through the tournament so being in the final is very satisfying in its own right. The ultimate goal has always been to win it, so we are exactly where we need to be to try and achieve that.”
Hansen could not resist a small dig at Michael Cheika’s Wallabies, suggesting Australia have had to fight harder to reach the tournament’s showpiece.
He said: “Both teams have arrived at the final by different pathways. We’ve had the luxury of building game by game throughout the whole tournament, whilst Australia have had to be at their very best right from day one.
“Mental fortitude and physical endurance, together with skill, execution and sheer desire, will be the key ingredients come Saturday.”
New Zealand team to face Australia in Rugby World Cup final
B Smith; Milner-Skudder, C Smith, Nonu, Savea; Carter, A Smith; Moody, Coles, O Franks, Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw (capt), Read.
Replacements Mealamu, Franks, Faumuina, Vito, Cane, Kerr-Barlow, Barrett, Williams.
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