Canterbury win thriller to secure title hat-trick

Canterbury overcame Auckland in a thrilling final to capture their third straight Farah Palmer Cup crown.

With the scores locked at 20-20 heading into the final quarter of the Premiership decider, Canterbury midfielder Lucy Anderson scored before Kendra Cocksedge slotted a drop goal in the dying stages to seal a 30-20 victory in Christchurch on Saturday.

The home team shot out of the blocks at Rugby Park when fullback Olivia McGoverne crossed in the fourth minute.

And it wasn’t long before they doubled their lead through a flying Grace Brooker, who finished off a move that began inside the Canterbury half.

Auckland halted Canterbury’s momentum in the 22nd minute via a Patricia Maliepo penalty, providing the catalyst to claw their way back into the contest.

Auckland capitalised on good field position when Ruahei Demant sliced her way through for a try.

While Cocksedge responded with a penalty to give Canterbury a 17-10 lead at the break, Auckland hit back early in the second half through Isla Norman-Bell.

And when Demant pounced on a Maliepo kick just before the dead ball line for her second try, after another three points from Cocksedge the teams were back on level terms.

However, that’s where Auckland’s scoring dried up as, following a period of sustained pressure,

Anderson crossed in the corner to put Canterbury back in front in the 61st minute.

It was a nail-biting finish for the hosts, who spent the final 10 minutes with 14 players after wing Sam Curtis was sin-binned for a high tackle.

But they held their nerve before Cocksedge, who finished with a personal haul of 15 points, had the final say with superbly taken drop-goal.

Meanwhile, Otago held off a late charge from Hawke’s Bay to claim a 24-20 victory in the Championship final at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin yesterday and earn promotion to the Premiership in 2020.

Both teams scored three tries apiece but it was the boot of Rosie Kelly that proved to be the difference as she finished with a personal haul of 14 points, including scoring the hosts’ opening try.