Sawt Falasteen - Rugby World Cup fever builds in New Zealand ahead of 'cracking' final

The All Blacks face the Springboks at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday with both sides bidding to become the first nation to win the World Cup for a fourth time.

Under head coach Ian Foster, New Zealand made a rocky start to the tournament with a defeat to France but eventually earned a place in the final with a hard-fought win over top-ranked Ireland in the knockout stages before routing Argentina.

All Blacks fans will gather in homes, pubs and bars around the rugby-mad country of five million to watch their heroes when the game kicks off in New Zealand at 8:00am on Sunday (1900 GMT Saturday).

Eden Park stadium in Auckland, where the All Blacks play home Test matches, is hosting a free public viewing event for the final.

The stadium's communications manager Bronwynne Howse told AFP that nearly 10,000 tickets had been snapped up by Thursday with a crowd of around 20,000 anticipated come kick-off on Sunday morning.

"People are getting behind the boys. It has to be massive to know the whole country is behind them," she said.

In the capital Wellington, super-fan Emily McDonald is so confident of an All Blacks win that she got a tattoo to commemorate them winning the World Cup inked on her thigh, even before the 44-6 semi-final win over Argentina.

Sean Fitzpatrick, part of the All Blacks team which won the 1987 World Cup on home soil and the captain when they lost the 1995 final to hosts South Africa, is anticipating a battle royale.

Fitzpatrick, who will be in Paris for the final, said the All Blacks have come a long way since an injury-hit side lost 35-7 to South Africa --- New Zealand's record defeat against the Springboks -- last August in a warm-up match before the World Cup.

"This team is unbelievable in what they have achieved in five weeks. It's a different team from where they were against the Springboks," Fitzpatrick told AFP in a phone interview.

"They just need to believe in themselves and do exactly what they have been doing. There is a lot of experience."

New Zealand flanker Shannon Frizell and lock Brodie Retallick, who both missed the August defeat with injury, have long since returned. Prop Tyrel Lomax, who suffered a deep leg cut to his leg in the last game against South Africa, is due to again scrum down against the Springboks.

Fitzpatrick is relishing a showdown for the William Webb Ellis trophy against a South Africa side who knocked out hosts France before a last-gasp semi-final win over England.

"It's a big stage," said Fitzpatrick.

"It's going to be a cracking final against arguably two of the greatest nations in world rugby over the years.

"They have both won three World Cups, with the chance to win four, and they are our greatest foes."

G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST