MELBOURNE - If the Australian and English squads know their history, they will take great interest in the result of tonight's third-place playoff.
At all four previous tournaments, the team who won the third-fourth match had been beaten in the semifinals by the team who went on to be crowned champions.
The All Blacks have been involved in the dreaded playoff game twice.
They beat Scotland in 1991 before their semifinal conquerors Australia downed England in the final.
Eight years later, New Zealand lost to South Africa to finish fourth in the lead-up to Australia's final defeat of France, the side who stunned the All Blacks in a famous semifinal.
Asked for their preference on who they would like to see win Saturday's final, several All Blacks plumped for the Wallabies.
It would appear they can play their part by beating France tonight.
The third-fourth playoff matches have largely been forgettable affairs, often played between two teams who would have preferred to scurry home when they lost their semifinals.
At the inaugural tournament in 1987, the Wallabies had a forgettable day in Rotorua, upset 22-21 by Wales, not helped by flanker David Codey being sent off for throwing a punch.
Four years later, All Black second five-eighth Walter Little scored the only try in helping the ageing side to a 13-6 over the Scots at a heavy Cardiff Arms Park.
England, still recovering from the semifinal onslaught by All Black winger Jonah Lomu in 1995, never quite recovered.
First five-eighth Rob Andrew kicked three penalties, but it wasn't enough to beat a more stylish France, who won 19-9 at Pretoria.
It was a similar story when No 10 Andrew Mehrtens' six penalties could not lift a despondent New Zealand to victory over South Africa at Cardiff in 1999.
Their worst-ever campaign was sealed by a try to Springbok winger Breyton Paulse.
- NZPA
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