Richie McCaw will lead an unchanged New Zealand starting XV against France in Sunday's World Cup final. The All Blacks coach Graham Henry has resisted any temptation to tweak his lineup for the tournament decider and will rely on the same men who defeated Australia 20-6 in the semi-final.
Brad Thorn will win his 59th and final cap for New Zealand in the second row in an experienced team boasting 708 caps. The only change to the 22 is on the bench where the fit-again Adam Thomson replaces Victor Vito. In the absence of the injured Dan Carter, the 22-year-old Aaron Cruden once again starts at fly-half with Stephen Donald on the bench.
New Zealand have not contested a World Cup final since losing to South Africa in 1995. They have not won the Webb Ellis Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. "This is the biggest game of the players' lives and there is obvious excitement and anticipation at what lies ahead," said Henry. "To be playing in the final of the Rugby World Cup in front of our home crowd is going to be massive and a very special occasion for the team as well as our fans."
Carter senses his team-mates are better prepared now than they were in 2007 as they ready themselves to face their "arch-nemesis" at Eden Park. "The fact that we are building throughout this World Cup has been a real bonus. We're just getting better each week. But we have to be better than we were last week if we are going to win this game," he said.
"All we can do is control what we are doing. I know the team has prepared extremely well and that's all we can do. We are focusing on ourselves and doing everything we can to make sure we have a good performance."
Carter, even so, is wary of France. "It's something to do with the French mentality and they love to play the All Blacks. My experience from playing in France was that teams can be so-so but as soon as they are fighting to avoid relegation, or fighting for Heineken Cup spots or finals spots, they just seemed to perform out of their skin. I've seen that in the World Cup … in the round-robin stages they weren't a world-class side but they scrapped through and when they got to the play-offs they have turned into a different side."
New Zealand Dagg; Jane, Smith, Nonu, Kahui; Cruden, Weepu; O Franks, Mealamu, Woodcock, Whitelock, Thorn, Kaino, McCaw (capt), Read. Replacements Hore, B Franks, A Williams, Thomson, Ellis, Donald, SB Williams.
