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

It may have taken twenty-seven years, but Wellington finally has it's hands on the famous log of wood better known as the Ranfurly Shield.

The Lions went to Auckland as red hot favourites, and although it wasn't their greatest performance we've ever seen (the 27-0 victory certainly flattered the Lions), it was enough to take home the trophy.

It's a great reward for an outstanding season thus far, and they certainly are the team to beat as the quarter finals approach.

Wellington have won all eight games, and have picked up the four-try bonus in all eight games, too - a fantastic record.

The only team that may have a chance (albeit a very slim one) to beat the Lions is Canterbury, who have shrugged off their loss to Manawatu in Round 1 to win their last seven from seven.

The only other real variable is that if Auckland make the quarter-finals (which at this point is not a guarantee), they'll be bolstered by the return of their All Blacks (Mealamu, Kaino and Afoa), which could lift their game.

Waikato, too, will enjoy the return of their All Blacks, which will make the quarter-finals just that extra bit tougher.

One team that looks unlikely to make the next round is Otago. They've been completely out of form, and have been unable to win at home, which is unacceptable, really. It's a real let down to previous Otago sides, who helped build Carisbrook into the House of Pain - a place where no one could even hope to beat Otago. Now, it's almost guaranteed that they'll be beaten.

But for now, we can all enjoy the success of the Lions (as you can probably tell, one of us is a Wellington supporter - had to fight pretty hard to get this last sentence in, too...), as they look to hold onto the Ranfurly Shield for a long time.