WORLD Cup finals are often tense affairs, with little room for error sides look not to lose the game rather than go out and win it.

That can be said whether it's football, rugby league or rugby union; these showpieces are rarely an attacking exhibition as nerves and magnitude of the event set in.

“Don’t let the occasion get to you,” rings the cliché around changing rooms on cup final day.

But what makes for a great final? Goals? Points? Last-minute match-winning drama?

England national teams have had both. Take Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal with 26 seconds left to play in Australia in 2003.

The match only brought two tries, Jason Robinson replying to an earlier Lote Tuqiri score.

But Wilkinson’s right boot remains the lasting memory of that clash; certainly not the eight penalties he and Elton Flattley shared throughout.

It 1966 it was raining goals at Wembley, and the scoring exploits of hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst in a 4-2 extra-time success will forever be remembered.

Not that the Three Lions have another World Cup final to compare it to, but none of the 12 games since have heralded as many goals as ’66.

The two previous clashes have failed to excite, 1-0 wins for Germany and Spain, while Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt brought to life a nerve-jangling final in ’06 that France lost on penalties to Italy.

Rugby league has suffered the same fate, with the last two World Cup finals being one-sided affairs, albeit New Zealand upsetting the Aussies on their own soil in 2008.

You have to rewind to 1972 for a Great Britain win; only awarded after a 10-10 draw with Australia because Jim Challinor’s side had finished higher in the group table.

Perhaps “boring” finals are a modern phenomenon, a product of the professional game. But fans will be hoping for more points on the board when New Zealand and Australia meet at Twickenham on Saturday than in the 8-7 2011 showdown between the All Blacks and France.

Those countries met in the competition’s first final in 1987 and shared 38 points, while in football early Brazil sides would repel the notion they took a 'don't lose' approach.

And 12 goals in three finals from 1958 to 1970 is certainly a good argument.

But, which FIFA World Cup final was played in front of the biggest crowd?

The answer to last week's question was Jonnie Peacock.