History repeats itself this Sunday with a replay of the 1987 Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and France kicks off in Auckland.

The All Blacks, firm favourites from day one, have proved the form book right and cruised into the final, hardly putting a foot wrong along the way. Their semi-final win over Australia was as good a performance as you get and they have stuck with the same line-up for the final. Impressive youngsters Israel Dagg, Aaron Cruden and Richard Kahui all get another chance to light up the world stage and few would bet against these Kiwis, considering their impressive form.

Dagg was phenomenal against the Wallabies, breaking their defensive line at will. His security under the high ball, coupled with an explosive turn of pace, makes kicking onto the lively fullback a risky option. Combined with Kahui and Cory Jane, the All Black three can single-handedly change the course of a match.

Lining up against them is a French backline that has struggled to get going all tournament long. Coach Marc Lievremont has stuck with same players who held out against a 14-man Welsh side, but will be looking for a better attacking performance this weekend. Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvili will need to find their groove early on, combining with the rest of the static backline, to challenge the New Zealanders.

One of the stand-out features of this French side is their loose trio. All three are robust, mobile and physical players, and they can cause problems for any side on their day. Imanol Harinordoquy and Julien Bonnaire have been immense in their last two matches and their combination with inspirational captain Thierry Dusautoir could well turn the match in their favour.

Few would have thought the French would make it to the final but to write them off completely would be a mistake. While they have struggled in some of their matches during the tournament, Les Bleus love nothing more than to prove the critics wrong –especially against the All Blacks.

History has a habit of repeating itself and if things follow the 1987 script the All Blacks will be lifting the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first time in 24 years. However, France are renowned for following their own script and it will depend on which page they find themselves on the day!

France:

15. Maxime Médard, 14. Vincent Clerc, 13. Aurélien Rougerie, 12. Maxime Mermoz, 11. Alexis Palisson, 10. Morgan Parra, 9. Dimitri Yachvili, 8. Imanol Harinordoquy, 7. Julien Bonnaire, 6. Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5. Lionel Nallet, 4. Pascal Pape, 3. Nicolas Mas, 2. William Servat, 1. Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Subs: 16. Dimitri Szarzewski, 17. Fabien Barcella, 18. Julien Pierre, 19. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20. Jean-Marc Doussain, 21. François Trinh-Duc, 22. Damien Traille

New Zealand:

15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Richard Kahui, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.

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