Rugby World Cup 2015: England great Jeremy Guscott says All Blacks are happy to win ugly

Dan Carter kicks and scores a drop goal during the semi-final against South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

Dan Carter's semifinal drop goal epitomised how the All Blacks have evolved, according to the former English back Jeremy Guscott.

Writing for the BBC, Guscott - an elegant centre who also played for the Lions - said Steve Hansen's All Blacks were "happy to win ugly".

"Things have changed for this All Blacks team. They are different from some of their predecessors," he wrote.

"Previous New Zealand teams have based their play around open running rugby, using quick ball to attack disjointed defences, sniffing out holes and exploiting overlaps.

"This is still the preferred mode...but they were never going to be allowed to play that way against South Africa. When they were 12 - 7 down at halftime, and not being allowed to play the way they wanted to, other sides might have panicked."

Guscott observed a New Zealand side which reduced penalties conceded in the second half, played a pragmatic territory game in the wet, and punished South African mistakes.

Guscott believed Australia revealed some strength on their bench, but said their first up tackling was a problem against Argentina and they had to rely heavily on scrambling defence.

Meanwhile, the much-admired Peter Fitzsimons has talked up the Australia's World Cup final chances with deliberate faint praise.

Fearing his own ability to jinx the Wallabies via overly optimistic predictions, the former test lock told his Sydney Morning Herald readers: "...if our blokes are on form, and the All Blacks are out of form, and the wind blows from the east and the rooster crows at dawn, we're in with half a sniff of half a chance!"