Eden Park will become the first ground in the world to host two Rugby World Cup finals on Sunday. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the changes that have taken place in the many parts of the game from 1987 to now.
The ground
It may be still grass in the middle but that is about all that is the same at Eden Park. Actually, it is not the same grass because it has been relaid more than once since 1987. But it remains green. The stands have all changed. A rather ugly wooden one which used to sit in one corner has now gone, with two large new stands along the sides. Despite all the millions spent on it, well north of $200 million, the ground still has that rather jigsaw look about it.
The temporary stands at each end will come down at the end of the tournament, reducing the capacity to 50,000, not a great increase since 1987.
The ball
Mitre produced the rugby ball for the first competition. It was white, which was a tad unusual in those days as the old adidas leather two-tone brown ball ruled. Mitre was replaced by an adidas ball at the next tournament and then Gilbert came on board and has been there ever since. There has always been controversy over the balls and whether they have been changed just before the tournament.
The jerseys
Yes, a lot has changed here. Back in 1987 no-one could buy an All Black jersey. They were the domain of the players. But as the world got more commercial and money came into the game, the jerseys became products to sell and fashion items. Now they are made of synthetics which seemingly had their start at Nasa, and are skin tight. For props they seem too tight, and not a good look if you are a bit tubby. Players are also swathed with more tape and cloth and no-one wears that unsightly bandage that Warwick Taylor used to wear to protect his wrist.
Build of players
One wonders if opposing halfbacks David Kirk and Pierre Berbezier in the 1987 final could have played the game today.
Both were small, short men who never went to the gym. Nowadays players are bigger, stronger and faster but that does not always make for a better game. The field can get too crowded with all these big, speedy men on it.
The rules
The rules have changed, as they always do in rugby. Now you can lift in the lineout, you cannot automatically kick the ball straight to touch from inside your 22m line, and there is little or no rucking. And tries are worth five points.
Offending
These days anything slightly uncalled for is clamped down on like the offender is a mass murderer. A spear tackle goes slightly wrong and the red card is out. In 1987, Welshman Huw Richards was knocked out by Wayne Shelford in the semifinal but still got his marching orders because he started the fight. If that happened today, Shelford would be off too.
Kick-off time
The game in 1987 was played at 2.30pm, on a Saturday. This Sunday, the match will kick off 390 minutes later. Why?
Television, as lots more people will watch it at home in Europe at that time. The broadcasters pay the big money for rights which ultimately bankrolls the game. Most matches are played at night these days for a television audience but it does not always make for the greatest spectacle with dew and cold slowing the action down.
Sponsors
The 1987 tournament was bankrolled by a Japanese communications company called KDD, which had never been heard of before the tournament and has not been sighted since. This year you would have to be deaf, blind, and mute not to know who the sponsors are. They pay big money and expect their pound of flesh - hence the beer prices at the stadiums.
Ticket prices
For a child to stand on the terrace at Carisbrook to watch a pool game in 1987 it was exactly $1. This year, for a child to sit at the new stadium in Dunedin it was $16. Final tickets are way dearer than what they were in 1987 but that is no surprise. It still sold out.
Financial reward
The Monday following the final in 1987, All Black winger Craig Green found himself on top of a house in Christchurch, back to his roofing job. This year, if the All Blacks win they will be counting their notes from their $100,000 bonus from winning the tournament, and also considering the endorsements which are bound to roll in from women's magazines and clothing companies.