KEY POINTS:
It's been three years, but Australia's last defeat to New Zealand continues to cast a shadow over the Kangaroos.
Most of the Australian side for tonight's World Cup final in Brisbane didn't take part in the 24-0 whitewash inflicted by the Brian McClennan-coached Kiwis in Leeds.
However, the
result hasn't been forgotten, but instead has been a source of motivation in the build-up this week.
The Kangaroos, who have held the World Cup since 1975, go into the final as hot favourites, having already beaten the Kiwis in the tournament.
They cruised to a 30-6 victory on the opening weekend for their eighth win in a row over their transtasman rivals.
But hooker Cameron Smith points to 2005 to explain why he and his teammates have had their feet planted on the ground.
"You only have to look back a few years ago," he said.
"Everyone said Australia were unbeatable and no side could beat them, and they got touched up 24-0.
"We're aware that, although we've beaten the Kiwis once in this tournament already, it's going to be totally different story on Saturday."
There are just four survivors from that match at Elland Road - Australian forwards Craig Fitzgibbon, Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price, and Kiwi winger Manu Vatuvei.
Just 19 at the time, Vatuvei scored two of his team's four tries.
For Fitzgibbon, it was a defeat that was unlikely to be erased from the memory bank and the one thing that would be harder to bear would be becoming a member of the side that lost the World Cup.
"I was part of that 2005 Tri-Nations team that was beaten, and you don't want to be part of that," he said.
"Our ears are still ringing and certainly we'll never be forgotten if we go out there and don't play well at the weekend."
Fitzgibbon also believed the Kangaroos would face a different Kiwi side from four weeks ago.
He said New Zealand had gradually improved as the competition had gone on and he was impressed with the way they had come from 24-8 down against England in their pool match to win 36-24.
He was wary of the added unpredictability of a final and identified halves pairing of Benji Marshall and Nathan Fien as two players of particular danger to the Kangaroos.
"A player of Benji's calibre is someone you have to keep an eye on," he said.
"He's just got freakish talent that can catch you off guard as soon as you're not paying attention to him and Nathan Fien has been controlling the team really well.
"These are two guys we have to clamp down on if we want to win the game."
NZ v Australia:
All tests:
- Played 114, Australia won 84, New Zealand won 28, drawn 2.
All tests in Brisbane:
- Played 26, Australia won 21, New Zealand won 5.
World Cup meetings:
Played 13, Australia won 13, New Zealand won 0.
* New Zealand and Australia have met twice in World Cup finals:
- 1988, Australia 25 New Zealand 12, Eden Park, Auckland.
- 2000, Australia 40 New Zealand 12, Old Trafford, Manchester.
* Australia have won the World Cup nine of the 12 times that the trophy has been up for grabs in its 54-year history, including the past six in a row.
* Great Britain have claimed the cup on the three other occasions.
Paths to the final:
- New Zealand: lost to Australia 6-30, beat Papua New Guinea 48-6, beat England 36-24, beat England (semifinal) 32-22.
- Australia: beat New Zealand 30-6, beat England 52-4, beat Papua New Guinea 46-6, beat Fiji (semifinal) 52-0.
- NZPA
