New Zealand number eight Kieran Read believes that his side will face a "big battle" during Sunday's World Cup final against France.

The Kiwis have already defeated the French in the competition and are favourites with the bookmakers to end their 24-year wait to win the tournament.

However, Read has warned his teammates that it may not be a straightforward outcome.

"It is going to be a big battle for us," said the 25-year-old. "I think the French back row has been outstanding. They have been defensively very strong, and they've also got a lot of options in their lineout with Bonnaire and Harinordoquy.

"So it's definitely a big challenge for us that as a group we are pretty excited about coming up against.

"I don't think we can really compare too much with a final of this magnitude, to be honest. I think it's exciting and you cannot just really rely on it being another week."

The French have named an unchanged lineup for the final.