OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Monday 2.30pm.
LADIES and gentlemen: In the red corner Australia. In the blue corner France. At stake: the heavyweight sporting championship of the world.
France, the holders of the World Cup football title, take on Australia, the holders of the World Cup cricket title, in the World Cup rugby union final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
It will be the first time the two nations from opposite ends of the earth have played each other in the final of rugby’s biggest tournament – but the two countries are building up a formidable sporting rivalry.
Less than a month after they meet to decide the best team in rugby, Australia and France will compete against each other again. In Nice, from December 3-5, the two nations will contest the Davis Cup final to decide the best team in world tennis.
The Australians will go into both rugby and tennis deciders as favourites – but the French demonstrated on Sunday that they are extremely comfortable in the underdog role.
The Tricolors roared back from a 14-point deficit to beat tournament favourites New Zealand 43-31 in the semi-finals and earn their meeting with Australia, who ousted defending champions South Africa on Saturday.
Australia have won their last four rugby tests against the French and have conceded just one try in five matches in the tournament so far, but captain John Eales has warned his players to beware of the French flair.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are, when you are put under pressure anything can happen,” Eales said. “The French really capitalised on every opportunity they had against New Zealand.”
“We are one match away from an incredible achievement – and we have nothing to lose,” said back-rower Christophe Juillet. — AFP