Farah Palmer Cup final: Waikato win thriller over Canterbury in Hamilton

Waikato triumphed in the Farah Palmer Cup final. Photo / Photosport

Waikato have been crowned queens of New Zealand provincial rugby.

In a thrilling Farah Palmer Cup final in Hamilton, Waikato survived a late scare as Canterbury had a shot to steal it, only for a poor lineout throw to seal the 27-25 win.

It was a tit-for-tat affair with several swings in momentum and the sides trading tries in a scintillating 80 minutes.

Skipper Chelsea Semple was all emotion at the final whistle.

“Sorry about my ugly tears but I don’t care. It means so much, it was not just about the team on the field, I’m just so proud,” she told Sky Sport.

“It took everything, we haven’t felt that pressure that Canterbury put us under so there is no better competitor for us.”

Canterbury’s Terauoriwa Gapper said it was an incredible effort from her side who were short 13 Black Ferns.

“The girls are so young and to put that performance out in a final, I am just so proud. Waikato are a classy side and they deserved that today.”

It was a blistering start for Waikato, Kaea Nepia opening the scoring with a penalty before a jinking Maia Anderson saw her just short, Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu on hand to dart over from the back of a ruck.

Down 10-0, Canterbury struck back as winger Emma Whinney sliced through some feeble defence to score under the bar.

Abigail Paton put another three on the board for the visitors to even the honours on the back of a destructive carry by Ona Palu.

Waikato reclaimed the ascendancy as Nepia threw a beautiful wide pass to Lele Ieremia to score in the corner.

Canterbury then tied things up as skipper Laura Bayfield rumbled her way over the chalk to make it 17-all.

With time up in the first 40 and Canterbury deep on attack, a rampaging Palu threw herself at the defence but Waikato managed to roll her on her back and hold the giant prop up over the chalk to send the sides to the sheds all square.

The hosts again came out firing to kick off the second, Rina Paraone bursting up the centre of the park but the attack was quashed by a poor pass.

The red and blacks made their first chance of the second count, stringing several quality phases together before Gapper sent across a pinpoint cross-kick for Riko Yoshida who muscled it to the grass in the tackle of her opposite.

Canterbury were showing great tenacity on defence, holding Waikato up over the line twice within a few minutes.

But it was third time proving the charm for the home side, hooker and competition top try scorer Grace Houpapa-Barrett adding another to her tally as Waikato went back ahead 24-22 with 20 to play.

A high shot from Canterbury allowed Nepia to stretch the lead to five, and replacement hooker Vici-Rose Green then appeared to have sealed things, but replays showed a Canterbury boot dislodged the ball as she tried to ground it.

A second Paton penalty had Canterbury trailing by just two with only four minutes to play.

Waikato looked to hold the ball to close out the final moments but conceded a penalty right on halfway to give Canterbury a sniff as they plugged the corner.

However, the lineout throw was wayward and Waikato hammered it into touch to claim their second FPC title.

Waikato 27 (Ieremia, Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Houpapa-Barrett tries; Nepia 3 cons, 2 pens)

Canterbury 25 (Whinney, Bayfield, Yoshida tries; Paton 2 cons, 2 pens)