England and South Africa meet in the World Cup final at the Stade de France on Saturday night.

Here, PA Sport's Steve Douglas looks at the major confrontations that could decide the outcome of the match:

Ben Kay v Victor Matfield

The battle at the line-out between Kay and Matfield will be fascinating and potentially game-defining.

Kay, back in form after a number of lean years following the 2003 World Cup, has been England's chief operator in that department for a while and is the team's main pincher of opposition ball.

Matfield, arguably the world's leading lock, is the fulcrum of the Springboks' line-out operation and was one of the major reasons why Argentina's malfunctioned there in the semi-final.

Lewis Moody v Juan Smith

Whichever team is master at the breakdown should go on to win the match, and Moody and Smith are the chief protagonists in this area.

Moody was ignored at the start of the tournament but has started the last three games to great effect. He is England's only real scavenger in the back row so he faces a busy, punishing night - but he is more than happy to put his body on the line.

The powerful and mobile Smith, who has had an outstanding tournament, is normally dominant at the breakdown, where he will be helped along by fellow flanker Schalk Burger.

Andy Gomarsall v Fourie du Preez

The pair have undoubtedly been the top two scrum-halves this tournament, and are both in prime form.

Gomarsall has come from nowhere to make the number nine jersey his own, and his delivery and combination with Jonny Wilkinson have lifted England to another level.

Du Preez, the world's best scrum-half, is quicker and sharper than Gomarsall, but nowhere near as experienced. He was the Springboks' tormentor-in-chief when the two countries met in the pool stages.

Paul Sackey v Bryan Habana

The two widemen have touched down 12 times between them this World Cup, and both have pace to burn.

Wasps winger Sackey found Habana too hot to handle when they came up against each other last month but he has improved since then, his defence especially impressive.

It will need to be against the Springbok flyer, the tournament's top try-scorer with eight. Habana is the best finisher in the world, is as powerful as he is quick and has proved unstoppable over the last month and a half. He has turned interception tries into an art form, something England's midfield has to be wary of.

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