Rugby: Cantabs show how to win

Two first-half tries from Colin Slade helped set up another Canterbury win in last night's Air NZ Cup final. Photo / Getty Images

As Colin Slade slid over for his second try inside the opening half to give his side a decisive 18-3 lead, Michael Jackson's Beat It started playing on the public address system.

They're a cruel lot in Christchurch. They like to put the knife in when a team is down. But it nearly backfired, as Wellington staged an impressive second-half comeback.

After losing six finals in seven years and being reminded of the fact they had won only once in eight finals in the past 11 years, they'd had enough. They wanted their own wedding. The bridesmaid has to get married eventually. Surely.

They trailed 18-3 at halftime and 25-10 heading into the final quarter but closed to 25-20 with six minutes remaining. At that stage, the red and blacks were under enormous pressure. Slade was stuck on the naughty step, injured skipper George Whitelock was struggling and Wellington had momentum.

But champion sides don't give up that mantle easily. They regathered, hit the rucks like they were the most important of the season and won a penalty within kicking range.

When Stephen Brett obliged with only 70 seconds remaining, the Canterbury faithful could finally breathe easily. Wellington were beaten. Again.

"It doesn't get any easier," Wellington first five Piri Weepu said. "I have been here seven times and I'm 0 for 7. Some of the guys have found [defeat] as hard as I did last year."

Wellington paid for an indifferent first 40 minutes. They barely fired a shot trying to beat Canterbury by playing like Canterbury. They kicked possession away, departing from the ad-lib style that had worked so well for them all season.

It played into the hands of Canterbury, who have built dynasties on absorbing pressure, and this was no different.

"We didn't handle that very well," Wellington coach Jamie Joseph said of the kicking. "In the second half, we ran it and that's the biggest disappointment. Maybe if we'd done that from the start, things might have been different."

Canterbury's plan had been to get on top early. They wanted to play on any anxieties that might emerge based on Wellington's record in finals.

It looked like working when Slade scored a double in the first half, the first inside two minutes when he raced 60m, and Stephen Brett twisted the knife with three penalties.

But Wellington attacked with vigour after the restart. They clearly figured they had to do something different to get back into the match.