Canterbury vs Hawke's Bay Preview & Tips - Canterbury to march into the NPC final
- Canterbury beat Hawke's Bay 26-7 when they last met
- Canterbury needed extra-time to beat Counties Manukau in the quarter-finals
- Preview, stats & head to head
-15103592.jpg)
Canterbury are tipped to move into the final (Getty Images)
- Canterbury vs Hawke's Bay Preview & Tips
- Head to Head
- Canterbury Form
- Hawke's Bay Form
Canterbury vs Hawke's Bay Preview & Tips
Canterbury needed extra-time to eventually defeat Counties Manukau in a quarter-final that was incredibly close.
Hawke's Bay proved too good for Taranaki in their quarter-final clash as they eliminated their opponents in a 26-12 triumph.
- Canterbury are unbeaten in their last three (W1, W1 AET, D1)
- Hawke's Bay have lost two of their last four on the road
- Canterbury have won five of their last six at home
Head to Head
In their last 10 meetings, Canterbury have won seven times, with Hawke's Bay winning three matches.
Canterbury Form
Canterbury have been outstanding across the regular season, but their final few matches have shown that they are far from unbeatable.
A 38-36 home loss to Otago saw the top two sides come together, with the lower of the two securing the bragging rights. Canterbury were then held in a 19-19 draw with Northland. With the playoffs looming, they did notch a much-needed win as they beat Taranaki 34-14.
However, this was not able to spur them onto a win in normal time against Counties Manukau. Instead, they had to bounce back from 15-5 down at half-time as they took the game into extra-time at 15-15. While they did come away with a 23-15 win after extra time, they will know they can take nothing for granted in this one.
While I back Canterbury to continue their impressive record against their opponents, I predict a very tight game in which the regular season champions just about squeeze into the grand final.
Hawke's Bay Form
After finishing the regular season in fourth, Hawke's Bay have gone from strength to strength, with the side now just a single win away from a spot in the grand final.
Their 38-10 win over Manawatu led onto a 26-12 win over Taranaki in the quarter-finals. Heading into this one as the underdogs, Hawke's Bay can arrive trying to play their own game as they look to stun their hosts.
I back the travelling side to give Canterbury a real scare, but seven defeats in 10 meetings with their opponents means I predict they will get eliminated in the semi-finals.
Verdict
I am backing Canterbury to win by 1-12 points as they just about make it to the grand final of the NPC.
Canterbury
Match Winner
@-263.16 - 1 Unit
25 SC no deposit & 250,000 GC
Use promo code NEWBONUS
Get 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins when you sign up with code NEWBONUS at Stake.us. USA only. Excludes certain States including NY,NV,ID, KY,WA. 18+ only. Terms and Conditions apply.
Canterbury 1-12
Winning Margin
@170.00 - 1 Unit
25 SC no deposit & 250,000 GC
Use promo code NEWBONUS
Get 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins when you sign up with code NEWBONUS at Stake.us. USA only. Excludes certain States including NY,NV,ID, KY,WA. 18+ only. Terms and Conditions apply.
Top Betting Sites
Betting offers
Upcoming Events
17 October 2025
18 October 2025
Load More
Canterbury v Hawke's Bay
days
hours
min
