Carter, Tialata bet on the final

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All Blacks team-mates Dan Carter and Neemia Tialata have a $500 bet riding on tonight's Canterbury-Wellington NPC rugby final.

There has been a fair amount of provincial banter among the All Blacks since they left New Zealand for their tour of Japan and Europe, and Tialata has already taken $100 off another team-mate, Jimmy Cowan, from Southland, when Wellington won their semifinal.

Now the Wellington prop has his sights set on Carter.

The Canterbury first five-eighth is so sure his province will extend its dominance over Wellington at AMI Stadium in Christchurch tonight that he has accepted a $500 wager.

"I said I wasn't going to leave Wellington or the Hurricanes until I'd won a title, and even though I'm not there for the final and playing, I'm pretty much part of the team," Tialata said.

He expected all the players connected to Canterbury or Wellington to watch the final on television in Cardiff.

Wellington have made the NPC final five times in Tialata's time, but have lost each time.

Meanwhile, Piri Weepu is sick of being No2.

Wellington's star first-five wants to be No1 in tonight's final, but so does his childhood friend, Tu Umaga-Marshall, who will play on the wing for Canterbury.

The pair grew up playing rugby league together in Wainuiomata and were team-mates when Wellington lifted the Ranfurly Shield last year.

Weepu was best man at Umaga-Marshall's wedding in March, a month before the latter transferred to Canterbury.

The friendship will be put on hold for 80 minutes at AMI Stadium.

"We've been texting a bit of banter," Umaga-Marshall said. "He's texted me saying, `Watch out at the bottom of the ruck, you might get a cheeky little eye-gouge'."

Umaga-Marshall, the nephew of former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, said he had great respect for Weepu, who has played 35 tests for the All Blacks.

"We'll always be good mates," he said.

"He's like a brother, but Piri's always going to stay faithful to Wellington."

Weepu was in tears after leading Wellington to a 6-7 loss to Canterbury in last year's final.

"I can't guarantee a victory but I can guarantee that we'll be going down fighting," he said.

"We're not going to lie down for them. We're going to make it a contest and take every opportunity we can."

- © Fairfax NZ News