The defending champions had home advantage at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch on Monday, but the Taniwha arrived with plenty of belief after a remarkable season that saw them lift, and then twice defend, the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978.
In round four, Northland stunned Canterbury 36-12 in Christchurch to claim the Log o’ Wood, handing the red and blacks their first loss of the season, and laying down a marker for what was to come in today’s final.
Rugby fans from across the country flocked to Christchurch and to One NZ Stadium, as the game sold out prior to kick off.
Canterbury 43 Northland 24
Northland won the toss and Rivez Reihana kicked off, immediately forcing a handling error from the home side and a Taniwha feed to the scrum.
Canterbury responded well and built momentum in the early minutes, and nicked the game’s opening try. Dom Gardiner was first receiver from close range, crashed through two tackles and stretched out to score the first try of the game. Andrew Knewstubb couldn’t add the extras from wide left.
Knewstubb was sent to the sin bin on the 10 minute mark, for head-on-head contact, in his tackle on Brady Rush.
Northland used the man advantage, setting up a set piece move from the centre of the field. It fell to Jordan Trainor, who put a grubber in for Heremaia Murray to collect and dive over to level the scores. Reihana nailed the conversion from the sideline to put the visitors in front.
Canterbury were back under the pump again soon after. Trainor got a try to his name when Sam Nock scampered through a gap and was tackled just short. Reihana was first receiver and flicked it on to Trainor, who beat a tackle and dove over for Northland’s second try. Reihana nailed the extras to put the visitors nine points up.
In the 30th minute the red and blacks struck back, through captain Brodie McAlister in a signature driving maul try. It put Canterbury back within touching distance, but Knewstubb’s conversion went astray.
Two minutes from the half time siren Northland struck again. A scrum on halfway saw Nock float off the back and receive from Terrel Peita, allowing the scrum half to skip away and inside the 22. He handed off beautifully to Corey Evans, who danced through a tackle and scored under the posts. Reihana duly obliged with the conversion, seeing the sides into the sheds with Northland leading 10-21.
Eight minutes into the second stanza, and with penalties piling up against Northland, Nock was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements and Canterbury kicked to the corner for a rumble at the line. With the extra man advantage, George Bell was at the back of the maul and dotted down in the corner to slim the deficit to six. Chay Fihaki took over kicking duties and added the extras from the touchline.
Canterbury kept their foot down and won a penalty inside the Northland 22, opting again to kick to the corner. Phases piled up as they toiled away on Northland’s line, and Bell was the recipient of quick ball at the base of the posts, and he crashed over for his second of the game, putting the red and blacks back in front by a slender margin after Fihaki converted.
Northland had the chance to level the scores at 24-all on the hour mark when Corey Kellow infringed at the ruck. Reihana pointed to the posts from 40 metres out on the angle, and nailed it.
Three minutes later, Isaac Hutchinson was on the end of a long passing chain after a period of sustained pressure pinning the Taniwha on their own line. He received it on the left wing and stepped inside, ducking under his opposite’s tackle and diving over in the corner. Fihaki added the extras and Canterbury led 31-24 with 16 minutes left on the clock.
With 10 minutes left, Northland had the feed to a scrum on Canterbury’s 22 line but Trainor was carried out, into touch by a raft of red and black defenders. It was a spark that sent Canterbury down the other end minutes later, and Hutchinson was in for his second of the match, after Jone Rova drew two defenders and passed to the winger. Fihaki added the extras for Canterbury to go 38-24 up with five minutes to play.
The red and blacks sealed an emphatic comeback in the dying embers of the game, when Canterbury fed the scrum on halfway when replacement scrum half Tyson Belworthy sniped off the back and darted through a gap. He stepped off his left, beating Nathan Salmon in a foot race to the corner flag and dotting down to seal the victory, 43-24.
The clock wound down past the 80, and the ball was booted into touch, bringing the game to a close, and captain McAlister lifting Canterbury’s 16th NPC title.