The two best teams in this year's competition were set to meet at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington and we'd booked tickets as a family to be there for the match.

Wellington had ended the 9-match 'round robin' on top with 35 points, with Canterbury close behind on 32 points. In their home semifinal, Wellington had disposed of Waikato 28-16, and Canterbury had trounced Bay of Plenty 44-12.

With a team stacked with current and former All Blacks, Canterbury headed into the final the stronger team on paper. Wellington however had performed well throughout the season and, on their day, are quite capable of beating anyone. That being the case, there really was no clear favourite in the minds of many. However most Wellington pundits seemed to be picking their own team to win, and the local newspaper editorialised "There's no one the home team would rather beat ... [than] the team everyone loves to hate." The latter comment may or may not be true from a North Island point-of-view but I'm sure that the bulk of those who reside (or were born) south of Cook Strait would beg to differ on that one.

As for the match itself, the first points came from both sides kicking penalty goals. Midway through the first half Wellington went to a 13-6 lead after scoring a converted try. Just what the crowd had come to see! But slightly worrying for those of us supporting the visitors. The emotional rollercoaster ride had begun. Fortunately (for Canterbury supporters) the downhill ride was shortlived.

A late first-half scoring spree saw Canterbury take a 20-13 lead into the break. If they were to retain that lead, it was vital that they scored first in the second half. They did. "For most of the second half it was all Canterbury, with veteran All Black halfbacks Justin Marshall and Andrew Mehrtens dictating the terms."

With ten minutes remaining, the scoreboard read Wellington 13 Canterbury 40. Two late tries to Wellington restored a certain amount of respectability with the match ending 27-40. A disappointing outcome for hometown supporters, but great for those for whom the red & blacks are the team we love to love.

- Malcolm Sparrow