It has taken 179 meetings between New Zealand and Australia -- the most-played match in international rugby union history -- before one of them was a World Cup final.

Given that between them they've been in six of the seven previous finals, it remains something of an oddity that they've not previously coincided there.

Three times -- in 1991, 2003 and 2011 -- they ran into each other in the semi-finals. On two other occasions, 1987 and 1999, a meeting was expected but one of them failed to make the appointment, in each case losing a semi-final to France.

Australia went down in the quarter-finals to England in 1995, but the real odd one out is 2007. Both fell on the same day in the quarter-finals, paving the way for the only ever Anzac-less final, between South Africa and England.

They've filled this gap in their mutual rugby experience at the climax of a tournament which has generated some striking numbers, and with a chance to make some changes in the record-books of both the World Cup final and their own remarkable rivalry.

The World Cup

0 - Tries were scored by Spain in the 1999 tournament, a melancholy record which remains in their sole possession at the end of the 2015 edition, in which the lowest scorers were Uruguay with 2.

6 - Drop-goals have been landed in the first 46 matches of the 2015 tournament, an almost certain all-time low unless there is an extraordinary deluge in the third place playoff and final, since the previous low was 14 in 2007. Jonny Wilkinson landed eight by himself in England's run to the title in 2003.

7 - Tries per match was the average in the previous highest-scoring tournaments -- 1987, which saw 224 tries in 32 matches, and 2003, when there were 332 in 48. This World Cup has so far seen 263 tries in 46 matches, an average of below six which is unlikely -- on previous showings -- to be any higher after this weekend's two contests.

8 - Tries have been scored so far in this World Cup by New Zealand's Julian Savea, leaving him the final in which to break his tie for the all-time single-tournament record with his compatriot, and frequent comparator, Jonah Lomu (1995) and South Africa's Bryan Habana (2007).

12 - World Cup matches have been lost by Romanian No.8 Ovidiu Tonita. Two appearances by the veteran gave him an all-time record previously shared on 11 defeats by his compatriot and sometime team-mate Romeo Gontineac and the Namibian Hugo Horn.

22 - World Cup matches were played by RFU president, 2003 World Cup winner and all-round good guy Jason Leonard, a record he will share after this weekend with Richie McCaw -- who already has the all-time record for wins, with 19.

50 - Yellow cards have been issued in this tournament, way ahead of the previous record of 35 set in 2007 and the first time that there has been an average of more than one per game. Campese Ma'afu of Fiji was the one player to see yellow twice, but still trails the all-time record of three set by Fabio Ongaro of Italy across three tournaments.

The World Cup final

0 - Yellow cards issued in seven World Cup finals so far, although the number immediately above suggests that is a record which might go this weekend.

1 - Previous Welsh World Cup final referee. Nigel Owens makes it two, following Derek Bevan, who took charge of the 1991 final. South Africans have refereed three finals, with Craig Joubert in 2011 following Andre Watson -- who uniquely refereed two, 1999 and 2003.

2 - World Cup finals have been try-less, and both were won by South Africa, seeing off the All Blacks 15-12 in Johannesburg in 1995 and England 15-6 in Paris in 2007.

Jonny Wilkinson© (Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images)

2 - World Cup finals have gone to extra-time, the epic arm wrestles between South Africa and New Zealand in 1995 and Australia and England in 2003. Both were settled by drop goals.

5 - Goals have been dropped across all seven finals, making those efforts by Joel Stansky in 1995 and Jonny Wilkinson in 2003 rare as well as famous. Stransky's drop was his second of the match, the only time this has happened in a final and making him a rare man to head Jonny in any drop-goal category.

5 - Minutes were played by Jean-Marc Doussain in his quiz-question appearance at the end of the 2011 final, when he became the only man so far to make his debut in a World Cup final. Setting such a record was an oddly appropriate end to the reign as coach of Marc Lievremont, who at times had appeared to be aiming to cap every adult French male.

5 - Players called Smith will have appeared in World Cup finals after this weekend, with the final debuts by Aaron and Ben (Conrad played in 2011), breaking the previous tie with Williams as the most popular name for players in finals. Australia's George (2003) and South Africa's Juan (2007) complete the Smith quintet of finalists.

9.29 - Points is the average margin of victory in the previous seven finals, ranging from New Zealand's single point win over France in 2011 to Australia's 23 point margin, 35-12, against the French in 1999.

11 - Tries have been scored in seven previous World Cup finals, with New Zealand's three in 1987 the single-team record. This compares to 42 penalty goals -- a penalty-to-try ratio of 3.8 to one, which compares to 1.7 in semi-finals and 1.2 in the quarters and shows quite how conservative and risk-averse most finalists have been. No player has yet scored more than one try.

Jonah Lomu is tackled by Joost van der Westhuizen© AP Photo/John Parkin

20 - Years and 43 days was Jonah Lomu's age when he took the field for the 1995 final, making him the youngest -- as well as almost certainly the most-discussed in the run-up to the match -- of all World Cup finalists. Two other 20-year-olds have played in finals, Doussain and South Africa's Frans Steyn, who became the youngest ever winner in 2007.

36 - Years and 232 days was Brad Thorn's age when he took the field for the 2011 final, making him the oldest ever finalist. The only other 36-year-old, England's Mike Catt in 2007, was a loser on that occasion but had at least already had the satisfaction of being the man who kicked the ball out to conclude England's victory four years earlier.

135 - Players share the record for most defeats in World Cup finals -- one. Matt Giteau, 12 years on from his first final, has the chance to make that record all his own this weekend, but would presumably rather not. Four players -- Os du Randt and the Wallaby trio of John Eales, Jason Little and Tim Horan -- share the record of winning twice, a list which will grow considerably longer should New Zealand win this weekend.

New Zealand v Australia

2 - Victories by Australia over the All Blacks in World Cup matches, the semi-finals of 1991 and 2003, compared to the single New Zealand win over the Wallabies at the same stage four years ago, a very rare case of the All Blacks coming off second best in any head-to-head.

Richie McCaw crosses for a try against Australia© Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

11 - Tries by Richie McCaw against Australia, creating what may be -- against much competition -- the ultimate McCaw statistic. This is not merely the most tries scored by an All Black against Australia, but is the most tries scored -- in matches between Tier One teams -- by any player against another country. Even allowing for how often he has played in this match (see 36 below), to hold an all-time record for something well down his list of duties as back rower is truly astonishing. Ma'a Nonu is next on 10, while Christian Cullen scored 10 times in 15 matches against South Africa.

12 - Wins by George Gregan against the All Blacks, the most by any player of any country, but still leaving him with a winning percentage comfortably below 50, since he also played in 15 defeats.

21 - Losses by Adam Ashley-Cooper against the All Blacks, the most any player has ever suffered against another opponent. Ashley-Cooper has only beaten them five times, but does have the compensation of having scored more tries (nine) against the All Blacks than any other player, displacing compatriot David Campese (eight) from the top of that list.

36 - Matches played by McCaw against Australia, yet another all-time record for a player against any opponent and some explanation -- although making it scarcely less remarkable -- for his scoring record. He has also, it pretty much goes without saying, played in the most wins -- 28, followed by Keven Mealamu on 25. Ashley-Cooper's 29th appearance against the All Blacks will give him a share of the all-time all-nations record with Campese.

48 - Wins by Australia against New Zealand, the most by any All Black opponent. But this has to be set against 123 defeats, comfortably the most inflicted on any team by a single opponent, way ahead of Ireland's 75 losses to England.

347 - Points by Daniel Carter against Australia. What McCaw is to records for appearance and wins (and now, it seems, tries), Carter is to points-scoring. Second on the all-time list for points against a single opponent is ... Daniel Carter with 255 against South Africa. Matt Burke's 176 points in 17 matches for Australia is the most anyone has scored against New Zealand.