By Carl Markham, PA Sport

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It is the southern hemisphere showdown which no-one was expecting but it promises to be a final full of bitter rivalries and maybe some surprises when defending champions Australia and New Zealand go head to head on Sunday.

The Aussies, as expected, coasted through their group - smashing a Commonwealth Games record score 20-1 against whipping boys Barbados - and rightly booked their place in the final with a 3-1 win over South Africa.

But the Kiwis are the surprise package - a semi-final berth was the best they could ever have hoped for after being drawn in a group which included Pakistan and England.

Their 7-1 demolition of Pakistan in the semi-final showed just how good a team they can be. However, they played well above themselves and questions remain whether they can raise their game again.

The Kookaburras undoubtedly have the best team but New Zealand have the tournament's top player in Hayden Shaw, the defender who has crashed in 12 goals in five games with a deadly penalty corner flick.

Such has been Shaw's impact he has outshone the world's best penalty corner exponent, Sohail Abbas of Pakistan. New Zealand need him to be on target tomorrow.

Australia captain Paul Gaudoin is well aware of the threat Shaw and the Kiwi team pose but said his players are determined to take home gold - which will hopefully ease the pain of the all-conquering women's team losing their crown.

"They are playing really well at the moment. You saw against Pakistan that they have got a good team that is blending well together and they have a penalty corner flicker who is starting to become one of the best in the world," he said.

"It will be a tough battle against the Kiwis. It is always a dour struggle against those guys.

"But it presents an opportunity to win a gold medal for hockey.

"We are hurting for the girls and we are pretty keen to do them a bit of justice and hopefully bring home a hockey gold medal."

New Zealand manager Kevin Towns - whose son Simon, of Reading Hockey Club, captains the side - said they were trying to forget the 6-1 thrashing they were on the end of against the Aussies in their opening group match.

"I think in the first 20 minutes we played quite well against them but I don't think we believed in ourselves," he said. "They are an awesome side."

South Africa will play Pakistan in the bronze medal play-off.