Rain may be a big factor during Saturday’s big Rugby World Cup final between the Springboks and All Blacks in Paris.

There is rain predicted for Saturday and this will be a big leveller between the two teams.

It may also have an influence on the team selection with the Boks opening to start Faf de Klerk and Handré Pollard as the halfback combination.

Pollard and De Klerk are both very experienced in the wetter conditions a player experiences in Europe and this will be very handy.

The former Springbok lock and 1995 Rugby World Cup winner, Mark Andrews, told OFM Sport that the weather will make it a closer affair.

“The rain is a big leveller, so if some people say the All Blacks are going to win by 20 points on a dry field, then it will be a three, five or seven point game, and that can turn around very quickly as we saw in the semi-final against the English.

“It could be by a penalty here, a drop goal there. It takes that potential winning margin away and makes it tight.

“It's going to be a tough one and to be honest, I'd like to stick with the theme of the All Blacks being the top dogs and we are the underdogs.

“I think we could surprise the top dogs in this one.”

Mark Andrews (left) lining up the late Jonah Lomu (right) during the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. Images24.co.za

Andrews, who played in 77 Tests, for the Springboks added that past World Cup wins and at the stats will go out of the window, and all that will matter is what happens between the four lines on Saturday.

“The majority of the time the stats and the things like that are only really relevant to the press and the public who are supporting them. But, as a player when you go into a Test, especially something as big as a World Cup final, whether you've won it five times or are playing in it for the first time, it doesn't really make a difference to the players.

“The majority of the players have won a World Cup before, and to the rest who haven't, all their motivation is going to be on winning that World Cup. How many times the Springboks have won the World Cup before is not really relevant to the players on Saturday. I'll say that for both the Springbok and the All Blacks.”

The Springboks and the All Blacks will both be naming their respective teams for the final on Thursday.

Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final at Stade de France kicks off at 21:00.