Those words will be ringing in Ashley-Cooper's ears when he runs out in the World Cup final against New Zealand in what could be his last Test for Australia. The All Blacks are the defending champions and possess young wing powerhouses.

But after 113 Tests, three World Cups and more than a decade of service, this is Ashley-Cooper's time to shine. Wallabies coach Michael Cheika enlisted the help of Australia's 1999 World Cup champions to impart some wisdom to his 31-man squad two months ago, and Roff set high standards for Ashley-Cooper.

"Coopy was just starting out when I was an old man. He's the old bull now," Roff said. "I said to him that aiming for anything less than to be player of the tournament would be disservice to himself. He is the old bull. I see him as a big-game hunter and I knew he would cruise through the other games in the tournament. But I want to see him in the big games. For someone like him this weekend, I know he'll step up for it. He's ready."

The World Cup final is a long way from when he had to put down a meat pie and being plucked out of the crowd in Perth 10 years ago to make his Test debut against South Africa. But Ashley-Cooper will be one of three Test centurions in the Wallabies line-up, standing alongside Matt Giteau and Stephen Moore. Giteau is the only one who has been part of a World Cup final.

Ashley-Cooper is a stickler for routine and takes comfort from knowing what his preparation will be. That's why he penned a poem for the Wallabies this week as a good omen after doing the same before the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby grand final last year.

At 31, he knows this is his last chance to be crowned a world champion. What he doesn't know and isn't willing to think about is whether it will be his last Test in Wallabies gold.

The veteran outside back will move to French rugby next season to play with Bordeaux, but the ARU's new eligibility rules allow him to continue his Wallabies career.

What Ashley-Cooper does know is he doesn't want to leave Twickenham on Saturday (Sunday morning AEDT) with any regrets.

Ashley-Cooper has scored the most tries of any player against New Zealand, getting across the line nine times in 28 Tests. He warmed up for the final with a hat-trick against Argentina in the semi-final. "Australian rugby could always use Adam Ashley-Cooper," Roff said.

"This weekend is the big stage, he should just enjoy it. He loves the big stage and the big games, it doesn't get bigger than this. I want him to leave everything out on the field. This is a chance to make history."

Two-time World Cup-winner Tim Horan echoed Roff's sentiment and said: "If this is his last game, it would be great to go out as a world champion. They all deserve it, but none more so than the senior players who have been around a long time. No one in this team has ever held up the Bledisloe Cup. It's been tough. Now they've got a chance to create some legacy.

"Adam has always been a leader, even after 25 Tests. What I've really been impressed with over the last four or five years is that he's been a mainstay of making sure the standards of the culture have been upheld. For me, that's just as important as playing."