Australia and Wales will look to Friday's bronze final here at Eden Park for some consolation after their hopes of winning the World Cup were extinguished following semifinal defeats last weekend.
The Wallabies were bloodied and battered in a 20-6 defeat by New Zealand, while the Welsh are still bemoaning a 9-8 loss to France, where they played with 14 men for the last hour.
While pundits question the relevance of a third place play-off tacked on to the end of a demanding six-week tournament, both teams say they have plenty to play for in their curtain-fall appearances at the seventh World Cup.
The Wallabies are licking their wounds having been second best in all aspects to the All Blacks, but are determined to go out with a bang after promising so much, but delivering so little.
Meanwhile, Wales says it is equally determined to prove it should be in Sunday's final instead of France after coming within a whisker of beating the French despite having skipper Sam Warburton sent off midway through the first half for a lifting tackle.
The principality's Western Mail newspaper devoted its entire Monday front page to an emotional editorial entitled ‘Is This How You Feel?', lamenting the defeat and what might have been.
Senior Wallaby back Adam Ashley-Cooper said the match was a chance for Australia to give something back to its fans.
“We care and if they (Australia supporters) care about us, they would care.
“They need to know that the collective group here that are representing the country care a lot,” Ashley-Cooper added.
