No masking tension at World Cup final on Halloween

The excitement was building at Twickenham for the Rugby World Cup final, as New Zealand and Australia fans steeled their nerves for Saturday's mammoth encounter.

Several rugby fanatics were drifting round the 80,000-seater stadium in southwest London desperately looking for spare tickets as the England 2015 tournament reached its climax.

One exhausted-looking woman from New Zealand had a sign saying she had flown 26 hours to be at the final, and now just needed a ticket.

"I'm tense, I'm shaking, mate," said Ian Harper, dressed from head to toe in Australian gold.
Yohannes, a New Zealand fan, and Wallabies supporter Kim, said: "We tried not to talk about it all week. It's been a tough week and one of us is going home crying tonight and we'll see how it plays out."

Some wore full Halloween skeleton costumes as they milled around in the autumn sunshine, an unusually warm 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit).

A skeleton in a Wallabies top was hanging by the neck from some scaffolding, to add to the Halloween feel.

"It's going to be incredibly close. I'd rate our chances about 55 to 45," said John, a New Zealander.

"It's s an epic occasion and that's going to lend itself to good rugby and I just hope that New Zealand can avoid making those early mistakes."
Fans queued up for pictures by the "Welcome to the home of England Rugby" sign on a rugby ball-shaped roundabout.

Several Englishmen wore their club rugby jerseys rather than the white of the national team, knocked out by a 13-33 defeat to Australia on October 3.

World Cup final souvenir scarves, half in gold and half in black, were being snapped up for £10 ($15).

The emblems of all 20 nations who competed at the tournament were fluttering outside the stadium.

New Zealanders on the way to the ground said they thought they had the edge in terms of numbers.
An All Blacks fan approached a local helper charged with handing out mini Australia and New Zealand flags and said "I'll just have one of those", taking the New Zealand colours.

The Englishman said: "I didn't realise they were any different until four hours ago!"
- Prince Harry to present trophy -
Fans also did battle with a national anthem karaoke before the sounds of "Advance Australia Fair" and "God Defend New Zealand" were to resonate around the stadium.

The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows aerobatics display team were to roar over the ground shortly before the 4:00pm (1600 GMT) kick-off.
British Prime Minister David Cameron was among those expected at the game.

Prince Harry, 31, the honorary president of the England 2015 organisers -- and fifth in line to become the monarch of both Australia and New Zealand -- was to present the trophy.

The Webb Ellis Cup, standing 38 centimetres high and weighing 4.5 kilogrammes, is crafted from solid sterling silver and 24 carat gold plate.

The job of carving the winner's name onto its stand falls to master engraver Keith O'Connell, from London silversmiths Thomas Lyte.

Their master silversmith Kevin Williams said: "For Keith, this would be a normal job if he was doing it day-to-day, but when you have the world's TV looking at you, it is a tense time.

"You cannot do anything until the final whistle is blown and then the adrenaline gets going at that point.

"All we will need is a tabletop and a few minutes and Keith will get to work."

Organisers will hope it doesn't do a similar disappearing act as four years ago when one part of it was found at All Blacks captain Richie McCaw's house and another at flanker Jerome Kaino's residence.

Source: AFP