Bay of Plenty won that game 6-5 and Canterbury went on to beat North Harbour 6-4 to ensure the two sides would meet for a third time in the final.
Bay of Plenty led 4-2 at halftime and were leading 6-5 late in the second half, but Canterbury scored in the dying seconds to send the game to a drop-off, in which the teams each lose a player every minute until the winning try is scored.
Down to four players each, Bay of Plenty thought they had won when Stevie Wall dived in to score, but the try was disallowed. Canterbury made the most of the call and went down the other end to snatch victory with a try of their own.
In pool play the Bay of Plenty 35 women's team won four, drew one and lost two to finish second and book a spot against North Harbour in the playoff round - the team they had tied with previously. They lost the first playoff 3-2 , meaning they had to beat Counties Manukau to earn a place in the final.
They beat Counties comfortably 8-5, but fell at the final hurdle, losing 7-4 in the final against North Harbour to take second place.
Bay of Plenty 40 men's team manager and seniors tour manager Noelani Hudson said the teams played well and both finals could easily have gone the other way.
"There were a lot of old heads in the women's team and they did really well for a team who had just come together. They played awesome, touch is just one of those games that can go either way.
"The 40 men's lost in the semis last year and in the final the year before, but next year we're hosting all the national tournaments here in Rotorua so hopefully we can get some wins," Hudson said.
She said the open mixed and open men's teams had some young players who benefited from the experience.
"It was good to see some of the young ones playing up in the top grade, which will be good for the future."
Bay of Plenty results at the 2018 E Tu Whanau National Touch Championships
Open men's: 6th
Open mixed: 5th
40 men's: 2nd
35 women's: 2nd
