Richard Loe: Canterbury set to finish on high note

Canterbury did enough against Hawke's Bay, I felt, to suggest they will be the Air NZ Cup champions next week.

They strangled Hawke's Bay in such an efficient and clinical way that they got the Southland match and the loss of the Ranfurly Shield out of their system.

There was talk around Canterbury that the team was a bit down, a bit lethargic, after that loss and that they wanted to finish on a high note - and I thought they did.

They played completely differently from last week and none more so than first five-eighths Steven Brett. He looked a different player. He is a confidence player, Brett, and grew in stature during that game and got the bounce of the ball - and he was away.

He's had more game time at No 10 lately and it is beginning to tell. He's finishing the season strongly. No matter where he plays his Super rugby next year - and there is still a lot of talk the Blues will get him in the draft - he is coming off a much better season, leaving that awful season last year behind.

Canterbury just didn't give the Bay a show. You saw that by measuring it in Israel Dagg appearances during the game. He's a class player and has influenced most games he has played in this season - and yet you hardly saw him in the second half beyond fielding the ball and kicking it.

I wondered if Hawke's Bay might have been a bit over-confident on the day. The last time they played Canterbury, they had seven All Blacks who weren't there on Friday night. But they froze, even though they were up against a Canterbury unit which was pretty inexperienced.

The Canterbury lineout was good, the scrum was good, and in Sam Whitelock and Isaac Ross, I think we have locks we will still be talking about in five or six years. Brad Thorn and Chris Jack? Missed? I don't think so.

The defence, particularly in the midfield where Tim Bateman and Casey Laulala had it sewn up, was very good and Hawke's Bay rarely threatened.

It was a complete game by Canterbury and they have now had three horror games this season - against Bay of Plenty and North Harbour at the beginning of the season and then Southland.

They have bounced back on each occasion and I expect them to maintain that next week and win the final.