Waikato celebrate after Merania Paraone scores against Canterbury. A year ago, they were pipped for the Farah Palmer Cup title by Canterbury in the dying stages of the final. Waikato dethroned Canterbury with a 22-20 win in Christchurch after a rather tumultuous week, in which Covid-19 alert level changes in the Waikato forced several changes to their preparation. With a howling wind at their backs in the first half, Canterbury looked to play for territory and kick deep when they had the opportunity. While running into the wind, Waikato had their work cut out for them just to make ground, as kicking for distance was not a great option in most situations.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 09, 2021 00:48 UTC