Finals Footy

Canterbury has won what could be the final Air New Zealand Cup 28–20 against Wellington in Christchurch. Two tries to Colin Slade helped Canterbury to an 18–3 half-time lead and that deficit proved too big to overcome for Jamie Joseph’s side, despite their improved showing in the second half which saw them reduce the gap to 25–20 with five minutes to go. Canterbury captain George Whitelock said the plan had been to put their opponents under pressure early. “We’d talked all week about starting well and putting a lot of pressure on them and get that self-doubt into their mind,” Whitelock said. “We put a bit of pressure on ourselves but that’s finals footy. Wellington came back really strong and showed what a classy side they are. They wanted it pretty badly but we wanted it more.” The New Zealand Rugby Union meets on December 13 to decide the fate of the championship.