Wellington and Canterbury will square off this Saturday for the final of the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup, with both sides heading into the final with only one loss each this year.

Wellington had to fight hard against Southland on Friday night, and it came down to the final ten minutes before they managed to score two trys to take the lead - which sealed Southland's fate for 2008.

Chris - "I have to admit (as a Wellington supporter) that when the score was 14-11 to Southland with around 12 minutes to play, I was quite nervous. Wellington have had trouble in the past when it comes to pressure situations."

Canterbury, too, had to fight hard against Hawkes Bay, who showed a marked improvement from their efforts against Canterbury a few weeks earlier. Canterbury managed to pull away in the second half, though, taking out the match 31-21 and securing their place in the final.

Between Wellington and Canterbury, you'd have to go with Canterbury as the favourites, despite Wellingtons dominance all year. Like Chris said, Wellington often struggle when it comes to finals, while Canterbury are the masters of high pressure rugby.

Since their Round 1 loss to Manawatu, Canterbury have been unbeaten, and head into the final with momentum. Wellington, on the other hand, started with a hiss and a roar, but have struggled since winning the Ranfurly Shield when they beat Auckland.

They are certainly capable of beating Canterbury, but they can't afford to let the Canterbury boys play a tight physical game. If they do, Canterbury will grind out the win.

Wellington have to throw everything at the Canterbury defence, and with the likes of Hosea Gear and Ma'a Nonu in the backline, they should be able to find a few holes in the line. Although it won't be easy...

It's great that the two best sides all year have made the final, and it's fitting that it's Wellington and Canterbury, who have had some truly fantastic clashes in recent years.

This one, we hope, will be no different.

Photo from Flickr - anderchris