5 Things New Zealand and Australia Can Do to Make This the Greatest Final Ever

The Rugby World Cup 2015 final needs of an injection of entertainment.

The finals in 2011 and 2007 gave us only two tries from 160 minutes of World Cup final rugby, as the sides tried not to lose rather than go out to win.

In 2007, England, having gone back to their fundamentals after a thrashing by the Springboks, were hardly going to come out with an all-court game against the same opponents in the final.

The Boks simply nullified the Red Rose threat and took their shots at goal when they came. The only pulse-quickening moment was Mark Cueto’s disallowed try after that scintillating break from Mathew Tait.

And in 2011, New Zealand were almost paralysed by fear. Having lost Dan Carter during the tournament and then back-up No. 10 Aaron Cruden early in the game, they were reliant on late call-up Stephen Donald to pilot them through the contest, and once France came back with the try that made it a one-point game, the nerves were jangling like a prison officer’s key chain.

In both cases, fear of defeat dictated philosophy. It is hard to accuse any team of that psyche so far in this tournament. Teams have played to win, to impose their attack on the other team rather than trust the defence to shut them out.

Let’s hope that continues in the final. Here’s how they can make it happen.

1. Trade early tries

Nothing lights the touch paper like an early exchange of scores. England and Australia swapped five-pointers before the half-hour mark in the 2003 final, and Ben Kay should easily have made it three scores in the first half.

The game may have then settled into a penalty-swapping affair, but it was raining heavily and the scrum was producing a conveyor belt of kickable opportunities.

The fact it was locked so tight and needed a last-minute drop goal to win it ensured there was enough drama, but those early tries set the tone.

2. Look for the space

Seeing the overlaps is eminently easier from the stands or the sofa, and it was painful to see Argentina ignore them on numerous occasions against Australia in the second half of their semi-final.

Both the finalists have the wherewithal to identify when they have room to run out wide and get the ball out there. With passers like Matt Giteau and Conrad Smith in the middle of the park, there is a good chance that the open spaces away from the contact will be exploited.

3. Use your game breakers

Each side have deadly men who can create magic from nothing. Nehe Milner-Skudder has already shown that in the knockout stages with his try against France, while Israel Folau, if fully fit, can go past people with his sheer pace off the mark. Neither team is afraid to get the ball to these men to see what they can do.

4. Listen to Nigel

Nigel Owens is the man in charge for this year's final, and he has the ability to strike up a positive working relationship with the players he is refereeing. One area that could kill the game as a spectacle is if each back row is allowed to stifle every chance of quick ball illegally.

We have marvelled at the respective ground games of David Pocock and Richie McCaw thus far in this tournament, but Owens will let them know where the line is when it comes to getting hands on the ball at ruck time.

They will only get away with so much before he starts to lose his patience and reaches for his pocket, and we would rather this game remain 15 vs. 15 at all times. The players need to obey the man with the whistle and give the final the contest it deserves.

Phil Walter/Getty Images

5. No injuries, please

Forget the TMO, the biggest blight on the tournament has been the sad departure of so many world-class players through horrible injuries.

We waved farewell to Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny just before it started, and once we got under way, Billy Vunipola, Ben Morgan, Jean de Villiers, Liam Williams, Scott Williams, Paul O'Connell, Jonny Sexton, Peter O'Mahony, Tommy Bowe, Agustin Creevy, Juan Martin Hernandez and Juan Imhoff have all been lost at crucial times for their teams.

The nature of the sport at this level makes it inevitable that we'll lose some star names, but it feels as though this tournament has been deprived of a few too many of its leading lights.