Rugby World Cup 2015: David Pocock bruised but ready for his moment in history

A beaten-up Pocock is drawing inspiration from his childhood World Cup heroes as he prepares for the biggest game of his career. But the man rated as the player of the tournament has played down a duel with New Zealand legend Richie McCaw, joking his switch to No.8 means their head-to-head battle no longer exists.

Pocock declared himself fit despite sporting two black eyes and a crooked nose after a brutal semi-final clash against Argentina last weekend.

The final against New Zealand will be Pocock's first chance to win a trophy since the under-19 World Cup in Dubai almost a decade ago.

But his World Cup passion was borne out of watching South Africa's against-the-odds triumph in 1995 and then bursting into tears when the Wallabies beat the Springboks in the 1999 semi-final.

"It's funny, I was talking to my partner Emma a couple of days ago and she was saying for me as a kid watching the World Cup was such a big thing and those are the guys you idolise," Pocock said. "Now I've got that opportunity to be here playing and be a part of that history. It's such an amazing opportunity. In 1995 I was down at my grandfather's farm in Zimbabwe [for the final]. I was riding a skateboard up and down the veranda at half-time trying to get rid of some energy."

Despite the black eyes and cuts on his face, Pocock believes he has finally shaken the injury cloud that has hovered over him for the past two weeks. He got through 80 minutes in the semi-final, despite blood constantly streaming from his nose, and showed just how crucial he was to the Wallabies' hopes of winning the World Cup.

Pocock has won the most turnovers (14), had the most effective presence at defensive rucks (25) and has hit the most defensive rucks (65) of any player at the World Cup.

It sets the stage for an epic contest against All Blacks champion McCaw, as New Zealand attempt to send their fearless leader off with a fairytale finish to his international career. It's part of a massive back-row battle that pits Pocock, Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy against McCaw, Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino.

So how does Pocock feel about one last contest against McCaw? "I'm not No.7 so it no longer applies," Pocock grinned.

"It's one of these things, the one-on-one battles is something people talk about. But the reality is that once you're out there on the field you're not often at the same ruck together."

The Wallabies boast plenty of big-game experience with the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds Super Rugby winners, while the ACT Brumbies played in a grand final in 2013 and Drew Mitchell won the Heineken Cup with Toulon.

Pocock is the odd man out, despite most expecting him to be named player of the tournament. In fact, Pocock hadn't played in any sort of finals series since he was part of the Brumbies' Super Rugby campaign earlier this year.

"My mindset is not making it into this big final for us. It's the next step in our journey and we're very much focusing on our preparation this week and doing all the things we've been doing that has got us this far," Pocock said. "So, all the extra hype … you don't need any more motivation. You know it's a World Cup final, it doesn't need to be talked about too much."

Wallabies inside-centre Matt Giteau is the only Australian player who has experienced a World Cup final.

Almost all of the All Blacks' line-up played in their World Cup triumph four years ago. "[But] it's hard to put a figure on that. I suppose in those big pressure moments the more you've experienced that, the more you know what's coming," said Wallabies captain Stephen Moore.

"We haven't really spoken too much about that. Whether it's your first game or your last, it's a big game no matter what stage of your career you're in. These games come at different stages in people's careers. You've got to be able to do your best when you get the opportunity."