Dan Carter's absence from the New Zealand side has made Piri Weepu much more important to their gameplan. Since Carter's injury Weepu's primary role is no longer simply getting the ball to the fly-half, he now dictates a lot more of the play. With Dimitri Yachvili opposing him, the main decision makers on the field on Sunday will be the scrum-halves rather than the No10s.
New Zealand's adjusted kicking game from deep since Carter's groin injury ruled him out of the tournament was highlighted in their semi-final against Australia. Most teams' exit strategy when looking to get out from deep behind their own 10-metre line is to kick long and make the opposition play from around halfway. New Zealand's options, though, are based around their ability to compete to win the ball back from short kicks in the air or along the ground. They will then kick long with their second kick to pin their opponents in their own 22.
Off the opposition's restarts with Carter and Mils Muliaina in the side, New Zealand were happy for Richie McCaw or Jerome Kaino to create a midfield ruck, enabling them to split the field with Carter and Muliaina either side. They would typically favour Muliaina to come back to and he would run, forcing the opposing wing on his side to step up, then kick in behind making the full-back deal with a bouncing ball under pressure from the advancing centre and wing. With the full-back isolated, New Zealand would look to force the turnover.
Without Carter and Muliaina they do not seem to have the same confidence in Aaron Cruden's and Israel Dagg's kicking accuracy. This places much more emphasis on Weepu's decision making and kicking. With Weepu as the fulcrum, they are more likely to kick from a ruck set up between the 15-metre line and the touchline, rather than look for McCaw or Kaino to create a midfield ruck. The scrum-half will often box-kick and Cory Jane will then win the contest in the air, which he was outstanding at against Australia. Weepu can then create a ruck off the catch, giving him a blindside sniping option or if it comes out quickly he can pass to Cruden to run against a disorganised defence or kick to pin the opposition back deep in their half.
If the opposition force a midfield ruck by kicking up the middle New Zealand will look to put the ball through hands to the wing, again forcing the opposing wing up, kicking behind and isolating the full-back. None of this is revolutionary but the players must know when to kick and when to run, assessing the opposition's positioning on the move, and it is the ability to make the right decisions in these areas that separates New Zealand from the rest.
All of this relies on New Zealand's collective approach to winning the ball at the breakdown. We all know about McCaw but the All Blacks' ability to compete for the ball through the team is phenomenal. If you look at the semi‑final, Australia had only David Pocock really competing but every single All Black can do it.
Most teams follow similar principles at the breakdown. When the ball carrier is taken to the floor the next player on the scene will look to win the space above the ball and then try to turn over possession. Pocock is isolated in the Australia side as he is basically the only player that really does this. Quade Cooper and his fellow backs do not go near it.
But with New Zealand everyone can compete. The first arriving player will look to win the same race as Pocock above the ball but, instead of then focusing on winning the ball, he will try to make himself into a wall between the tackled player and his team-mates, often assisted by the tackler getting back to his feet (certainly if that tackler is McCaw). Two or three more All Blacks come in and compete for the ball, often with the ball carrier isolated from his team-mates by that wall created by the player who was first on the scene.
People often wonder why New Zealand don't get penalised more at the breakdown and it is because the referee is typically focusing on the ball and the player competing for it is on his feet and legal, even if his colleagues are not. The arriving opposition forwards can't instantly get to protect their ball because of the wall that has been built, and while that wall has a tendency to go off its feet it escapes penalties as the referee's focus is on the ball. New Zealand are likely to be happy with Craig Joubert as his attention is very much on the battle for possession. If that player is on his feet he is happy, often regardless of others being off theirs.
In the thick of a World Cup final, or any other match, things are never as clearcut as this and what teams try to do does not always work. But what sets New Zealand apart, and makes them overwhelming favourites, is quite how much of what they aim for they achieve.
Dean Ryan played for England, Wasps and Newcastle and coached Gloucester in the Premiership
