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

The Air New Zealand Cup moves into the semi finals this weekend, with Wellington, Canterbury, Hawkes Bay and Southland vying for a spot in the Final.

Wellington will face off against Southland, after they beat Taranaki on Saturday. It was by no means an easy victory (despite the final score blowing out to 50-30), as the boys from the Naki pushed hard for three quarters of the game - only to have the Lions run away in the end.

Wellington's golden run this year seems to have hit a snag, and since winning the Ranfurly Shield they have looked like a shell of the side they were earlier in the competition. They struggled to beat Tasman a few weeks ago, and last week suffered an embarrassing loss to the woeful Otago side, whose backline was a makeshift lineup of Dunedin club rugby players.

The final score against Taranaki will be of some relief, but they will need to improve to beat Southland, who comfortably destroyed Bay of Plenty's hopes with a 45-11 win. The Stags have been known to be a bogey side to Wellington in previous years, so don't go counting them out just yet. They are capable of competing with the big boys of New Zealand rugby, and an upset here is not completely off the cards.

The other semi final sees Canterbury face Hawkes Bay in a rematch from only two weeks ago. Canterbury comfortably beat the Magpies 31-7 on that day, but the Bay showed in their quarter final against Waikato that they can score trys from all over the field - and if they can get off to a good start, a win is not out of the question.

The only issue for Hawkes Bay is their defence, which lapsed in the second half against Waikato - and they only scrapped through to the semis by three points. They went into half time with a 28-0 advantage, only to let Waikato back into the game with some average defence. They absolutely cannot afford to do that against Canterbury, or they will find themselves on the end of another thrashing.

Canterbury strolled into the semis with a comprehensive 48-10 victory over their neighbours Tasman. If you put aside their first round loss to Manawatu, they've been in great form throughout the rest of the competition - and, alongside Wellington, must be heavy favourites to play in the final.

But rugby can be a funny game...

I mean - who honestly thought Auckland wouldn't have made the quarter finals? If there is an edge, it is that Wellington and Canterbury have experience at this end of the season, while the pressure may be too much for the underdogs.

Honestly? These two games are too close to call for us. And although one of us is a diehard Wellington supporter, and thinks they'll win the whole thing (biased? you bet), at this stage of the Air New Zealand Cup any one of these teams could take out the championship.

Semi final time, sports fans - don't miss 'em.

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.

With the Air New Zealand Cup at the halfway point, we thought we'd take a look at some of the up-and-coming stars of New Zealand rugby.

There are a lot of young players out there who have burst onto the scene, and will no doubt wear the black jersey sometime in the future.

First up, Victor Vito (Wellington):

Victor Vito is a star on the rise. Vito stands at 1.92m, and weighs in at 109kg, making him one of the biggest guys on the field. Not only is the guy big, but he's fast, too - making him one of the most devastating runners in New Zealand rugby today.

Vito has represented New Zealand at age grade level, including the NZ Secondary Schools (2004), NZ U19 (2006), NZ U21 (2007), and has been a member of Gordan Tietjens' sevens squad for the past two years, where he will have benefited from Tietjens' tutelage.

It's really no wonder he's already being compared to the great Jonah Lomu.

At only 21 years of age, Vito is destined for big things with New Zealand rugby - and we honestly believe that he'll be an All Black as early as next year.

Already this year Vito is carving up the opposition in the Air New Zealand Cup with what looks like ease. His skills with the ball in hand are incredible, and have effectively kept the opposition in two minds. He can either run through the defensive line, or offload the ball in the tackle.

Not only is he like Jonah, but he has a Sonny Bill Williams feel about him, too - the way he runs (holding the ball in one hand) is very much like Sonny.

The biggest test for him will be playing in next year's Super 14, but there's no reason why he won't destroy the Australian and South African sides.

Seriously, sports fans - keep your eyes on Victor Vito, because this guy is going to be one of the greats.