GAME OVER

80        Full-time in Christchurch and it’s Canterbury who win an epic battle to book a home final against either Auckland or Waikato, who meet at Eden Park on Saturday. Thanks for watching, it really was a cracking semi. Cheers!

79        SLADE CONVERSION! 57-41! His 100 per cent record continues!

78        VEAINU TRY! 55-41! That is surely that at AMI Stadium. Wellington were forcing their hand in the dying embers and Fruean capitalised on the spilled ball to send his winger over for a brace! Fruean has sent a message to Graham Henry here tonight.

77        SLADE CONVERSION! 50-41! A vital two points from Slade!

76        ROSS TRY! 48-41! What a story for Isaac Ross. He has been in the shadows for much of 2010 and he might have just sent Canterbury into the ITM Cup final next week!

75        Clever rugby from Stephen Brett as he sends a well-judged grubber into the corner that the Lions have to kick out. This is Canterbury’s time. Set-piece, maul, and then make it count…

72        Eight minutes separate Wellington from a final against Auckland or Waikato. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Canterbury are just three points down with Slade kicking superbly.

70        SOPOAGA CONVERSION! 43-41! Two-point ball game. What a clash!

69        PERENARA TRY! 43-39! They prove that point too with Vito running in acres of space before Brown blows for an attacking scrum five out! This could be it for Wellington..it is! A simple pop from eight to nine and TJ Perenara is over!

67        SLADE PENALTY! 43-34! That man continues his faultless day in knocking over another three. Nine points is the mini-mountain now for the Lions, who you cannot write off!

65        Another heart-in-mouth moment for Canterbury as a long pass almost finds a pair of Wellington hands. That would have been seven but instead the hosts are attacking through Slade 35 out.

63        SLADE PENALTY! 40-34! Schwalger has just been penalised for a high shot on Slade – it didn’t look intentional – and it’s three more for reigning champions Canterbury.

61        SOPOAGA PENALTY! 37-34! Simple enough for the number ten!

60        Wellington are looking to land a quick one-two here as their big strike runners put their heads down. Brown soon has to go to the TMO after the Lions seem to be over right under the posts…’footage is inconclusive’ so the referee comes back for a penalty to the visitors.

58        A missed conversion from Sopoaga – that is the first of the night!

56        VITO TRY! 37-31! Wouldn’t you just know it! Wellington have hit right back in Christchurch after a mistake at the restart and the New Zealand outcast stretches over to cut the lead.

55        SLADE PENALTY! 37-26! Fruean is causing all kinds of problems when given the ball, once again he bounces off his opposite number which ultimately results in a Lions offence. And that is another faultless strike from Slade!

52        Brown then penalises Fualau for a crooked throw but that is quickly forgotten by his team-mates who rush to congratulate the hooker and his props for winning a turnover at the resulting scrum.

50        Most of the recent action is at the Canterbury end though as Tialata begins to add his considerable bulk to proceedings. Patient phase play again from the Lions and they deserve something here..no, hands on the ground costs them according to referee Brown!

47        Have Canterbury turned this one over on their own 22? They have but kick it right back to the Lions, with lock Naikatini involved in open play. End-to-end stuff in the first seven minutes.

45        Scrum to the Lions on their own 22 and they then try and run themselves out from their own half, that is until Sopoaga kicks downfield. Lions still have it and are making patient metres.

Second-half      Off we go again then with this second 40 having a lot to live up to! 60 points were scored in all in that first-half – we thought it would be open but this is a whole new level. Coles to throw then inside his own 22 and Wellington will look to box from here…they do via the boot of TJ Perenara.

40        SOPOAGA PENALTY! 34-26! Some consolation for Wellington, who go into the sheds eight points behind in what’s been a humdinger of a first-half. Join us again in ten minutes for most probably more of the same!

39        SLADE CONVERSION! 34-23! The extras are added by Slade!

38        VEAINU TRY! 32-23! Canterbury seem to be okay. Scratch that, they are now better than okay and attacking on halfway through the power of Fruean! Oh he has just bounced off Mailata before feeding his stepping winger! Great score!

35        50 points are posted then in just 32 minutes in what’s been a cracking first semi-final so far. Play itself is on the Canterbury 22 with Luke Romano before an ill-judged touch-finder goes straight into touch. Could this cost the hosts?

32        SOPOAGA PENALTY! 27-23! Rather comical but it got there for the Lions. The fly-half slipped as he struck the long-ranger and the ball then bounced off the crossbar before going over. Jamie Joseph won’t care a jot though!

31        Referee Brown is becoming increasingly upset with the amount of penalties he is having to award and has a word with Canterbury about obstruction. This could be another chance for Sopoaga to eat into that lead. He calls for the tee.

29        SOPOAGA PENALTY! 27-20! An infringement at ruck time is music to the ears of the Wellington faithful and they get back to within seven points here in Christchurch.

27        SLADE CONVERSION! 27-17! Easy enough again for Slade.

26        FRUEAN TRY! 25-17! Far too easy for Canterbury. A scrum set-piece went to Slade and then a simple, delayed pass to his centre saw the latter power over from 20 metres out.

25        SOPOAGA PENALTY! 20-17! Obstruction from flanker Ash Parker has gifted Wellington a chance to wipe out that Slade kick with immediate effect. The Lions number ten does just that and we’re back to a three-point ball game.

23        SLADE PENALTY! 20-14! See-saw rugby in terms of the scoreboard but finally there is a back-to-back score for one side at AMI Stadium as Wellington infringe bang in front. Slade should knock this one over with ease…he does.

21        SLADE CONVERSION! 17-14! Great kick from the touchline!

20        MAITLAND TRY! 15-14! Oh what a score from the full-back. The turnover ball comes back to haunt Wellington as Maitland shows his gas from 60+ metres!

19        A good spell this for the Lions, who take the short route in centre-field using their forwards. Schwalger is leading the charge as you might expect before Sopoaga breaks the line and looks for the money ball out the back of his hand…unlucky that it goes to a Cantabrian. Will it cost Wellington?

17        SOPOAGA CONVERSION! 10-14! The lead is back to four!

16        STEWART TRY! 10-12! Canterbury are back where they like to be then on the scoreboard as Coles throws to the tail again 45 metres out. But what about this? Victor Vito is was who handed the ball onto his full-back 30 metres from the line and the rest is history. Slack defence from the hosts.

14        SLADE CONVERSION! 10-7! Another good strike from Slade.

13        FUALAU TRY! 8-7! I have spoken too soon as Canterbury find their feet and start to go through the phases on the visiting 22. Now Fruean runs hard and they are within two metres of the whitewash! Are they over? Yes.

11        Has that score knocked the stuffing out of Canterbury? Well, they don’t seem to be running as smoothly as they would like as a pass to Wyatt Crockett goes to ground. Encouraging stuff for Wellington in the first 11 minutes.

9          SOPOAGA CONVERSION! 3-7! No problems with that!

8          SAVEA TRY! 3-5! Nightmare for Ryan Crotty! The centre has just thrown a speculator just outside his own 22 that Julian Savea read a mile away. Easy!

7          SLADE PENALTY! 3-0! Shaun Treeby has just shot up out of the defensive line and this will be meat and drink for the New Zealand international.

6          Steve Fualau has just had his line-out throw stolen but it does not matter in the end as Canterbury get their hands on it again. Here comes Isaac Ross on the gallop, with the hosts setting up camp on the Lions 22. What can Colin Slade conjure up here?

4          Now they go wide and this looks promising with Alapati Leiua given some room to motor. However, his chip over the top has way too much juice on it and Canterbury survive again. The hosts subsequently get some territory.

2          The attack did not last long though as Colin Slade clears Canterbury’s lines. Dane Coles to throw in then and he goes to the tail on halfway before the Lions choose to maul, with a bit space in the offing on the left wing.

1          Off we go then with Keith Brown blowing the whistle here today. Wellington have reclaimed the kick-off and are attacking early, up to the home 22-metre.

Welcome          Welcome to AMI Stadium in Christchurch where the Lions are looking to upset the competition holders. Both these two are without their big names but that shouldn’t take anything away from the game as a spectacle. Keep an eye on the battle at openside between Matt Todd and Scott Fuglistaller. Enjoy the 80!