Rugby: Red and Blacks triumph in Air NZ Cup finale

Canterbury celebrate a Colin Slade try in their 28-20 victory over Wellington in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup final. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury 28
Wellington 20

Canterbury efficiently retained rugby's Air NZ Cup when they beat Wellington 28-20 at Christchurch tonight.

The defending champions virtually sealed their fifth national title when fullback Colin Slade scored two sparkling tries in the first half.

With first five-eighth Stepehn Brett converting one and slotting two penalties, a lethargic Wellington were left with a mountain to climb.

Their only score came when first five-eighth Piri Weepu booted a penalty.

Wellington, runners-up the last two years, were unable to find their rhythm as their opposition dominated the contact area and the scrums in the first 40 minutes.

Their attacks were dented by slow ball from their rucks which Canterbury's pack attacked en masse.

Slade was outstanding in the first half -- he took every high bomb Wellington sent in his direction and was always an option for the man with the ball in free play.

His first try came when a promising Wellington attack sparked by wing David Smith was snuffed out in a turnover and lock Sam Whitelock found the fullback at his shoulder.

Slade easily galloped 60 metres unchallenged for his score.

The second try came when the ball sped across the backline from a lineout and hit Slade as he chimed in at pace to beat the defence from close range.

Weepu, with two inexperienced midfielders in Shaun Treeby and Alapati Leuia, outside him was unable to find any gaps to exploit and the ball rarely reached his wings. Smith was busy, but Hosea Gear never got into the game.

With an ample supply of ammunition, Canterbury's backs, celebrating centre Casey Laulala's final match before taking up a contract in Japan, ran with panache throughout the game.

Wellington came out with more intensity for the second half as they chased the scoreboard.

Wellington coach Jamie Joseph sent on hard running Dane Coles for hooker Ged Robinson, Fa'atonu Fili for fullback Apoua Stewart, and Scott Fuglistaller for No 8 Mathew Luamanu early in the second half.

The trio added some much needed spark as Wellington abandoned the kicking game and proved more of a threat with ball in hand.

Centre Alapati Leuia ghosted into the Canterbury backline for an intercept try in the 54th minute which lifted Wellington.

But Canterbury's reply was eloquently delivered by wing Sean Maitland in the 60th minute, finishing off an elegant 40 metre run that left three tacklers for dead for an unconverted try.

Aided by the sin-binning of Slade in the 66th minute, Wellington scored a penalty off Weepu and then a converted try by Fuglistaller.

But the Canterbury defence held a desperate Wellington out as the time ticked down and Brett sealed the triumph with a 77th minute penalty.

Wellington skipper Jacob Ellison was left ruing his side's slow start.

` I've got nothing to say about that first half -- just let us down I think when we didn't fire as much as we wanted.

``We tried to play them at the kicking game but we weren't getting any ball from the rucks (in that first half) so we started shifting the ball (in the second half) and it paid off but it was just too little too late.'

Canterbury captain George Whitelock paid tribute to Wellington's fightback.

``It was huge to get the seven-point start early. As you saw Wellington are a top side and came back at the end and we had to dig really deep.

``I'm so proud of everyone tonight. We put it on the line tonight and we come through.'

Canterbury 28 (Colin Slade 2, Sean Maitland tries; Stephen Brett 3 pen, 2 con) Wellington 20 (Alapati Leuia, Scott Fuglistaller tries; Piri Weepu 2 pen, 2 con). Halftime: 18-3.