While the All Blacks' winning percentage remains the best in international sport, their failure to win the Webb Ellis trophy since the first tournament in 1987 has haunted a small nation in which rugby had become both a symbol of national pride and an obsession.

France have been New Zealand's bogey team, eliminating them twice at the knockout stages, and now only the French stand between the All Blacks and redemption after a bleak run of failures.

New Zealand defeated France 29-9 in the 1987 final, a score, which was a fair reflection of the gap between the rest of the rugby world and the All Blacks in the final years of the amateur era.

The return of their great rivals South Africa to international sport after the abolition of apartheid and the introduction of professionalism after the Springboks won the 1995 World Cup transformed the rugby world.

All nations now train and practise with the intensity, which was once the preserve of the All Blacks and South Africans and, with international teams meeting constantly, familiarity has dulled the aura of the men in black.

This year New Zealand's path to last Sunday's semi-final against Tri-Nations champions Australia was strewn with obstacles including a searching examination from Tonga in the opening match.

Daniel Carter, their immensely influential flyhalf, then made a premature exit from the tournament after sustaining a groin injury during kicking training.

To add to their woes, captain Richie McCaw, who with Carter would be an automatic selection for an all-time All Blacks XV, has barely trained for the past two weeks because of a chronic foot injury.

Adversity brought out the best in the All Blacks, who in previous tournaments had flattered in the group matches before faltering in the knockout phase.

After an outstanding opening 20 minutes featuring wave after wave of nonstop attacks, New Zealand defeated Australia 20-6 to the noisy delight of a packed Eden Park. The relief in the All Blacks' camp was palpable and they have since been preparing mentally and physically for anything the French can throw at them.

"I've been with a lot of these guys for a long time and, although they may be ranked the leading team in the world, they've never been world champions," head coach Graham Henry said on Friday.

"It would be just marvelous to have that title because they've had every other title that's going in rugby apart from this one.

"So for Richie and the boys I think that would be fabulous and you don't deserve that title till you do the job. I think they're good enough and that would be the icing on the cake." Like all the best All Blacks' sides, New Zealand will field a tough, physical pack with McCaw and veteran Brad Thorn at its heart and fast, elusive backs with the outstanding Israel Dagg at fullback.

Their challenge will be to overcome a French side who have proved more enigmatic than ever during the course of this tournament.

France were beaten by the All Blacks and Tonga in the group stages, rallied to knock out a mediocre England side in the quarter-finals then defeated Wales by only a point in the semis, even though the Welsh were down to 14 men for 60 minutes.

New Zealand have been beaten, or forced to fight bitterly hard for survival, too many times by France to have any shred of complacency before Sunday's match.

France, for their part, have relished the role of underdogs, determined to show the spirit which led to such feats as their famous 1958 series victory in South Africa, almost four decades before the All Blacks were able to beat the Springboks away from home.

The French have a rock solid front three and a quality back row, anchored by their towering number eight Imanol Harinordoquy. Their backs, with scrumhalf Morgan Para making a success of his new role at outside half, have, though, shown little.

When France are on song they can play rugby with a brilliance and elan unmatched by any side in the world. The All Blacks' job on Sunday will be to stifle them before they start.

"We're not sure who's going to turn up, quite frankly so we've got to prepare that they're going to be the best in the world," said Henry.

"They've certainly got the individuals to do that. They feel that they're not being considered in this final by a lot of people. We don't think that. We think they're a very good rugby team."