TJ Perenara and Wellington produce magic to beat Canterbury in NPC final

At Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch: Wellington 26 (Ruben Love 16min, Asafo Aumua 35min tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 2 con, 3 pen, Aidan Morgan pen) Canterbury 18 (Manasa Mataele 22min, Ngatungane Punivai 76min tries; Fergus Burke con, 2 pen) HT: 17-13

You only needed to glance at TJ Perenara’s face to comprehend how much Wellington’s 26-18 win over Canterbury meant to the veteran halfback and his team-mates on Saturday night.

Because Wellington victory in the NPC final at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch was one to savour for multiple reasons.

For starters, it was their first national title since 2000 when Wellington triumphed at the now-defunct Lancaster Park in the Garden City.

Then there’s the fact that Wellington now have another lump of treasure to add to their pot of loot, to go alongside the Ranfurly Shield which they lifted off Hawke’s Bay earlier in the season.

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And, last, but certainly not least, this was a performance that proved Wellington can slug it out with the best of them, and in fact, beat them up.

Wellington coach Leo Crowley summed up his team’s emotions before they retreated into their changing sheds, cranked up the stereo and began to party with victory chants and songs.

“I’m absolutely elated for everyone in our group, and Wellington wider rugby,’’ Crowley said. “It’s just real pleasing how we have come down here, and done a job on them, really.

“We really dug in with our defence tonight, and no matter what Canterbury threw at us, the boys delivered.’’

Tenacious tackling, and crucial steals in the rucks, caused Canterbury no end of heartache in the second half as they tried to kick their way out of trouble and lost their composure as their errors eroded their confidence.

Put it this way, there would have been few Canterbury supporters would have griped about the final result. Yes, they can be a boisterous bunch down here, but they know a good footy side when they see one and the best team on the park was the one known as the Lions.

Even when Canterbury scored a late try to replacement back Ngatungane Punivai, with 4 minutes left on the clock, Wellington – despite Aidan Morgan missing 2 penalties earlier before kicking a late one to put the result beyond doubt – didn’t look like losing.

For Crowley there was the satisfaction of seeing everyone in the side, whether they be the young men or the old heads, end the year on a high after a sluggish beginning to the campaign.

”We had a slow start, everyone knows that, but we don’t speak about that now. I just can’t say enough about our coaches Paul Tito, Tamati Ellison and Greg Halford. Our scrum was under pressure all last year, and we had much the same kids in this year.

“And we have done well, you know.’’

So, there was to be no fairytale finish for Canterbury’s ex-All Blacks George Bridge and Luke Romano; the former will soon depart for a fresh start in French clubland, while the latter, who began his provincial career after deciding to put his carpentry tools aside 14 years ago, is set to retire.

Combative lock Romano took the field with 30 minutes remaining, when his team was trailing by 10 points, and as much as he and his team-mates tried to shatter Wellington’s resolve, they couldn’t find the magic required to pop their bubble.

Wellington’s first try of the night was a peach, and it offered the Cantabs a painful glimpse of how dangerous they could be off turnover pill.

Having plundered a Canterbury lineout deep inside their own half, the visitors gave credence to the adage that an unexpected win in the set-piece can be like calling the right colour on the roulette wheel.

That, of course, depends if a team has the courage and self-belief to back themselves; Wellington did just that, flicking the ball wide to give Du’Plessis Kirifi the chance to dart through the ineffectual Canterbury midfield defence, and motor upfield prior to putting fullback Ruben Love in the clear for safe passage to the tryline.

Fortunately for the Cantab fans, who were all wedged into the northern stand where they were mercifully sheltered from a nasty breeze that could chill the bones of even the most portly of souls, they were soon to have something to holler about.

They love a good scrum down in these parts, no surprise when you have a prime slab of beef in ex-All Black Owen Franks at tighthead, until he was replaced by Tamaiti Williams at halftime, and it was from this facet that the home side profited.

No 8 and skipper Billy Harmon launched from the boot, but it was the outstanding offload from fullback Chay Fihaki that provided wing Manasa Matale with the space to score near the peg in the corner.

The inaccurate lineout was an issue for Canterbury – they coughed up 3 on their own throw in the first spell – but that couldn’t be blamed for allowing hooker Asafo Aumua to dot down for Wellington in the 35th minute.

Aumua’s power and determination enabled him to barge through a ruck to score, and given he has been promoted into the All Blacks as cover for Dane Coles, who is nursing a calf strain, there’s potential for him to be used in the test against Japan next weekend.

He could be quite an asset, too, if he produces this kind of aggression in the big smoke of Tokyo.

The big moment

The Wellington tackling was outstanding. It meant Canterbury were completely shut out of the contest in the second spell.

MVP

Wellington Aumua was deadly with, and without the ball.

Match rating: 7/10

The dour second half meant it wasn’t flash to watch, but it was pulsating at the end. Finals are like that.

The big picture

Wellington are now the kings of New Zealand provincial rugby. They deserve the title.