Their first meeting 6 June 1998 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane was a lesson.
The teacher, Stephen Larkham, moved recently from fullback to fly half by Rod Macqueen faced the young student in Jonny Wilkinson who just celebrated his 19th birthday.
The score was without contest, Australia winning 76-0 and trampling over the red rose with the most notable footprint left behind by the Wallaby Number 10 who scored three tries.
Much water has since gone under the bridge and today Jonny Wilkinson is widely recognised as the best player in the world, rewarded recently with a nomination by a distinguished panel of past rugby greats for the IRB player of the year.
Wilkinson: A complete player
For the semi final against France, he was sole scorer in his side, kicking three drop goals and five penalties. He also directed play expertly making the French run with kicks that pressured their try line with superb tactical accuracy.
But it would be a mistake to keep 'Wilko' prisoner of just the function of kicker, he also redoubtable in defence and brilliant in attack.
Stephen Larkham followed his own road since that first meeting, winning the RWC 1999 with the Wallabies and chaining victories in the Tri-Nations against the Springboks and the All Blacks.
But as the 29 year old reaches the sunset of his career, has he past his best form?
The last year his influence in the Wallaby side has not been the same. To the match against Scotland in RWC he looked far from his level in the 2000-2001 season.
But the Larkham of old has risen with a vengeance as a hapless Carlos Spencer, rated one of the best fly halves in the world, found out.
The Wallabies last match against the All Blacks saw a dramatic return to form for the number 10, who directed Australia in a match winning performance.
Wilkinson the complete 10, Larkham the lynch pin
The final dual on Saturday will be fiercly fought.
With a fly half being dependent of his forwards, the performance of both men will be in the hands of their big men at set pieces and loose play, but at the kicking game Wilkinson is expected to dominate.
The superboot of Wilkinson is expected to put constant pressure on the opponent who knows that any mistake could well be converted into points within minutes.
Larkham doesn’t kick for goal, that function going to inside centre Elton Flatley, rather he he kicks in play, for the line and from the 22m restart.
Larkham is more the conduit in attack looking for his backline or dummying and running like a centre, and it will be his direction in attack with ball in hand that could turn the momentum of the match Australia's way.
The lesson taught way back in June 1998 may come to haunt Larkham, whose three tries may have given the young flyhalf the rage to become the best.
And on Saturday, Larkham may expect to reap what he sewed, unless of course, like all good teachers, he has left the best lessons to last.