Why a New Zealand-Australia Cricket World Cup Final Means so Much

The Cricket World Cup Final could not have been scripted any better. Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia seemed destined to meet each other in the final of the 11th Cricket World Cup and now, that destiny is a reality.

In terms of sporting rivalries, there are few bigger. It is not one fuelled by political or religious backgrounds. Indeed, outside of the sport, the nations are fierce allies. The rivalry, tension and at times hate, comes purely from not wanting to lose to the other in the sporting arena.

Over the years, the rivalry has left us with some unforgettable memories, ones which only add to the feeling every time these two meet. 

Who could forget Australia winning the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in 30 years back in 1979? Despite being a trophy most New Zealand fans did not know even existed, the Wallabies held the cup aloft as they performed a victory lap, much to the disgust of the New Zealand rugby public.

It cut deep and since then, the All Blacks have placed utmost importance on their trans-Tasman battles.

In 2000, the anguish was clear as John Eales kicked a last-minute penalty to beat the All Blacks and to retain the Cup, having lost arguably the greatest game ever played in the first leg of the series.

There was New Zealand's triumph over the heavily favoured Australia at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, Australia's revenge five years later and the brutal scrap between Greg Dowling and Kevin Tamati.

In the netball arena, the two nations have played out many epics, so often in the finals of World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

And of course, there was the most iconic of them all: the 1981 underarm incident. New Zealand never quite forgave its foes for it and 34 years on, the feelings of discontent linger.

It was typical, in a way, of why Kiwis dislike their Aussie neighbours so much. The classless arrogance and hostility displayed by the Aussie fans—win at all costs and let the opposition know about it if you do—is not something that goes down well with their Kiwi foes.

Remember Australian Michael Clarke's spray at English James Anderson, telling him to get ready for a broken arm? Or the constant sledging from the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and David Warner? Or perhaps the undeniably biased nature of the Channel Nine commentary team, made up largely of former Australian players?

Even as recently as this week we have seen it. Australia Today host Karl Stefanovic referred to Kiwis as the "dole bludger army" and also sledged Indians in a way that some say had racist connotations.

Going back to an earlier era, there was the crowd hostility of the early 1980s, which saw New Zealand's Glenn Turner and Richard Hadlee verbally assaulted by the fans and opposing players alike. It was perhaps the first period where Australia actually felt threatened by the New Zealand cricket team, and they reacted with hostility.

Perhaps, they should have taken it as a compliment. It sure did not go down well, though, as can be seen in Turner's and Hadlee's books, Opening Up and Rhythm and Swing, respectively.

Outside of cricket in recent times, there have been most memorably the Quade Cooper incidents of 2010 and 2011 and George Gregan's "four more years" taunt after the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-final. 

Off the sporting field, there is been contention, mostly over Australian's tendencies to claim bits of New Zealand as their own. The dessert pavlova and the great racehorse Phar Lap are two examples of this.

It all feeds into this dislike that drives New Zealanders to want to beat Australians so much more than anyone else.

Of course, they are often up against it. Australia is a country with a much larger population and are amongst the elite in world sporting competition, constantly punching above their weight against even bigger nations.

Yet, when it comes to big brother playing little brother, or Australia playing New Zealand, you know anything can happen.

New Zealand prefers to silence vocal neighbours with performances and does so often through the extra motivation and lack of fear that comes with playing the Aussies.

Australians are more driven by the fear of losing to a country they feel they should not lose to. Certainly, in terms of consistency, they do have one over their neighbours. By sheer weight of population, they can put out strong teams on a more consistent basis than New Zealand in every sport other than rugby union. Indeed on the rugby union field, the New Zealanders are the ones who feel that they should not lose. 

The result is an intense feeling of passion every time the two nations meet.

For the 11th Cricket World Cup to have New Zealand and Australia meet in the final as co-hosts in an event both are passionate about is something of a dream finale. They have been the two best teams at the tournament and played out a classic in the pool stages, in which there was nothing between either team.

It is fitting that it is less than a month away from the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli massacre, a day remembered by both nations every year on April 25, otherwise known as Anzac Day. 

That is the thing that makes this rivalry so good. The hate only extends to the sporting arena. Outside of it, they are the fiercest of allies. They stand shoulder to shoulder, fight together and remember their fallen together. There certainly is an "us against the rest of the world" feeling to it.

Sunday will no doubt have some sort of Anzac feeling to it.

But do not think that means there will be any mercy—both teams are there to win. This will rank alongside the great moments, perhaps even as the greatest moment, in this sporting rivalry's illustrious history.