Mehrtens best in the world: Hansen

Outgoing Canterbury coach Steve Hansen insisted that Andrew Mehrtens was the best first five-eighths in the world after his side lifted the NPC title at Christchurch's Jade Stadium.

Trailing 16-6 at the break, Canterbury went up another gear to beat Otago 30-19, and Hansen said Mehrtens' vision made a vast difference in the second half.

"He showed why he is the best first five-eighths in the world. He knew what he had to do and he controlled the game.

"He is a class act, he's playing well and he's happy about his game," Hansen said.

Mehrtens dictated proceedings with the wind at his back.

He contributed 20 points, from five penalties, a dropped goal and a conversion, helping to ensure that Canterbury skipper Todd Blackadder would finish his last season with the province on a high.

For the ninth time this season, Canterbury scored the first try after halftime which immediately swung the game away from Otago who had made most of the play in the first spell.

Otago coach Laurie Mains described the controversial award of the try by video referee Steve Walsh as the turning point of Canterbury's win.

Walsh awarded the try to halfback Justin Marshall six minutes into the second half after referee Paul Honiss referred to him for a decision.

Television replays were inconclusive over who had forced the ball first, but Walsh ruled in Marshall and Canterbury's favour.

"All I can say is that Steve Walsh must have a different television set to me," Mains said.

"The referee said to me after the game he was a bit surprised as well. You could not see a Canterbury player force it [the ball] so I'm at a loss to know how that try could be awarded."

Mains was also annoyed at a dubious scrum penalty against Kees Meeuws a few minutes earlier.

"I was pretty disappointed with that. They were the turning points of the game."

But Mains admitted that his spirited Otago side did not take enough opportunities in the first half.

"We had three chances which we didn't take. Had we done so it might have been a different game."

But the warning signs were there that it was not going to be Otago's night.

They lost All Black Pita Alatani with a hamstring the day before the game and first five-eighths Tony Brown hobbled off with an ankle injury after 30 minutes.

As if this was not bad enough, Otago then lost Jeff Wilson who suffered a heavy knock in the second half.

Mains said Wilson suffered concussion and was in a bad way.

He was seen vomiting after the game and was taken to a first-aid room under the stand during the presentations.

The final was a fitting farewell to popular Blackadder who heads to Scotland in a fortnight to join the Edinburgh club with Otago's Brendan Laney.

Otago skipper Taine Randell paid the highest tribute to Blackadder: "Canterbury are the best team in the country and Toddy, we are glad to see the back of you."

Blackadder said: "This is not a sad moment ... I'm bloody happy.

"We played with pride and guts and self-belief in the second half. The style we played this year was a breath of fresh air to New Zealand rugby. Steve Hansen cared about our players. They bloody love him."

Laney tried to snatch the game away from Canterbury when he moved from fullback to replace Brown at first five. A thigh injury forced Brown out of the action.

Everything Laney touched turned to gold. Almost immediately he split the uprights with a dropped goal to take the visitors in front 6-3.

By halftime he had finished off a superb run by openside flanker Sam Harding to score the game's first try, converted the touchdown and slotted a penalty.

That made him the first player to score in all four possible ways in an NPC final.

Blackadder said Canterbury did not fire a shot in the first half.

And he felt they deserved the "rocket" they got at halftime.

Mehrtens kicked a penalty moments after the break and Marshall, from his own kick ahead, scored his controversial try two minutes later.

Nathan Mauger grabbed a superb try from a set move after an hour's play - and Canterbury had the title in the bag with 20 minutes to run on the clock. A Mehrtens' dropped goal put the game beyond Otago's grasp.

The match failed to live up to its expectations as a spectacle largely because of the heavy, wet conditions.

Mains confirmed that assistants Greg Cooper and Wayne Graham would take over the coaching of the Otago NPC team next year as he moves on to coach the Super 12 Highlanders.

He said that, despite the disappointment of the final, he was satisfied with Otago's season: "We're pretty proud of what we've achieved this year and we're heading in the right direction."

- NZPA