Jonah Lomu: World Cup final will be a humdinger

Former New Zealand international and the leading Rugby World Cup try-scorer Jonah Lomu expects next week's final between the All Blacks and Australia to be a "humdinger".

Speaking to BT Sport's Rugby Tonight show, the giant winger was full of praise for Steve Hansen's men for making it to a second consecutive final.

"It has been impressive, they are doing exactly what they need to do. They’re winning," Lomu said.

"People talk about close scores and so forth but it doesn’t matter as long as you have a ‘w’ next to your name and you are going to the next stage and getting another week.

"They have got another week and an opportunity to defend the title. They are on the cusp of doing something no other team has done yet – win back to back World Cups and that is great.

"In saying that, you’re playing against the Australians which is the only team that has beaten us this year. It’s going to be a humdinger of a game."

Lomu scored 15 World Cup tries in his career, a mark that has now been equalled by Bryan Habana, and recent comparisons have been made between himself and current New Zealand wing Julian Savea.

As Savea blasted through the French defence in their quarter-final win, comparisons were inevitably made between the two and Lomu says Savea has made the jersey his own.

"It has (Savea’s name has grown during RWC), it’s fantastic, you know the man is making the jersey his own and it’s what you want.

"When I set the record, there was only 16 teams, there’s 20 teams now so I expect someone to break my record. 

"You know this is where you make your name, the Rugby World Cup, you can’t get any bigger than this, so you know this is your opportunity.

"It doesn’t matter who you are, if you want to make a statement in rugby, this is the place to do it, because you are playing against the best players in the world."

In 1995, Lomu helped New Zealand reach the final by scoring four tries against England in the semi-final and he says the recognition his performance in that game came as a shock at the time.

"In terms of changing someone’s life, that definitely did," he recalls.

"I didn’t realise what I had done until the next morning when I went to buy some toothpaste and the whole XXX followed me.

"I’m hiding out in the janitors closet out the back waiting for security to make room so I can get back to my hotel, I had never seen anything like it.

"Going to the games you’ve got security and I have got my head phones on so you get into the groove of things so you don’t realise what had happened. It wasn’t until that happened that I went ‘okay my life is not my own.’

"But saying that it has been a blessing for myself and my family. Rugby has given me the life that I have but also to still be remembered 20 years on since 1995 for me it’s humbling and a privilege to have played this great sport."

Rugby Tonight, BT Sport’s weekly rugby show airs every Monday evening on BT Sport 1 at 8pm.