The Hurricanes fell at the last hurdle of the 2015 Investec Super Rugby competition, beaten by the Highlanders in Saturday night's all-New Zealand final in Wellington.

The Highlanders won a tense and willing final 21-14, with replacement first five-eighth Marty Banks sealing victory late in the match with a drop goal.

They controlled possession from the next re-start and outstanding halfback Aaron Smith booted the ball far into touch as the fulltime whistle sounded.

The Hurricanes weren't able to send departing players Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Jeremy Thrush Chris Smylie, Rey Lee-Lo and Ben Franks off on a winning note as the visiting side out-scored them two tries to one.

The Highlanders established a 10-point lead early in the second half when wing Waisake Naholo crossed in the corner, which they protected over the remainder of the match.

The Hurricanes created second half try scoring chances, most notably one in the corner to left wing Julian Savea but he was unable to grasp a pass in the corner.

With an astute tactical kicking game, the ability to build and maintain pressure with ball in hand and resilient defence, the Highlanders won their first Super Rugby title.

The opening 25 minutes of the final was played at breakneck speed, with both sides launching waves of concerted attack. Several times the Hurricanes went close to opening the game up by going wide and several times the Highlanders put boot to ball and peppered the Hurricanes with well-directed kicks in general play.

Scoring wise, Highlanders first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga opened the scoring with a 40 metre penalty, and Hurricanes pivot Beauden Barrett missed two consecutive long-range attempts in riposte.

Sopoaga was successful with his second penalty from 49 metres out, doubling the Highlanders' lead to 6-0.

On the half hour mark, fullback James Marshall set in motion a blistering 80-metre Hurricanes counter-attacking movement, fielding a kick and linking up with his support players including second five-eighth Ma'a Nonu and right wing Nehe Milner-Skudder. The movement was check inside the Highlanders' 22, but centre Conrad Smith almost broke free in a dart to the chalk and the ball was subsequently knocked on at the next ruck.

Halfback TJ Perenara ran back a kick in general play and was bundled into touch near the corner flag. The Hurricanes nabbed the lineout ball, the pack drove towards the line and they were awarded a 5-metre scrum.

No. 8 Victor Vito took the ball off the back of the scrum and ran openside. The forwards recycled and spun the ball back to the blindside for second five-eighth Nonu to race in and score his 48th Super Rugby try for the Hurricanes in the corner to close the margin to 6-5.

Highlanders blindside flanker Elliott Dixon accelerated towards the line and was awarded a try right on halftime. Sopoaga kicked the conversion and they led 13-5 at halftime.

Barrett grabbed three points back straightaway in the second half with a penalty to make it 13-8.

The Highlanders established an attacking pattern up inside the Hurricanes' 22, ripping it wide to right wing Waisake Naholo to score in the corner to make it 18-8.

Barrett was successful with his second strike of the second half, from a wide angle, and the lead was now 18-11 with 25 minutes remaining.

Sopoaga missed a penalty chance, ahead of the Hurricanes missing a try-scoring chance in the players' tunnel corner after they stole a Highlanders lineout and spun it wide to left wing Julian Savea who failed to collect a pass by flanker Brad Shields.

Maintaining this pressure, the Hurricanes had a penalty awarded to them in good position and Barrett kicked it, to now make it 18-14 with 13 minutes remaining.

But the Highlanders got themselves back up the other end of the field, and after two attempts to set him up for one, they presented Banks with a winning drop goal attempt.

The final win reversed two close losses to the Hurricanes in 2015 and was their fifth consecutive win at Westpac Stadium against Hurricanes teams.

This was the fifth occasion where the away team won the Super Rugby final and the first time in eight occasions.

Nonu and Smith ended their Hurricanes careers with a joint record 126 appearances for the Hurricanes, Thrush ended with 110 caps for the Hurricanes and the most by a forward, while halfback TJ Perenara and first five-eighth Beauden Barrett played their 50th match together as an inside back combination.

The scoring action (by minute):

5th: Lima Sopoaga penalty. Highlanders 3-0

29th: Lima Sopoaga penalty. Highlanders 6-0

36th: Ma'a Nonu try. Highlanders 6-5

40th: Elliott Dixon try. Highlanders 11-5

41st (first): Lima Sopoaga conversion. Highlanders 13-5

4nd: Beauden Barrett penalty. Highlanders 13-8

48th: Waisake Naholo try. Highlanders 18-8

54th: Beauden Barrett penalty. Highlanders 18-11

67th: Beauden Barrett penalty. Highlanders 18-14

78th: Marty Banks dropped goal. Highlanders 21-14

Scores:

Hurricanes 14 (Ma'a Nonu try; Beauden Barrett 3 pen) lost to the Highlanders 21 (Elliot Dixon, Waisake Naholo tries; Lima Sopoaga 2 pen, con; Marty Banks dropped goal). HT: 6-5. Crowd: 36,38.

The Hurricanes team that played the Highlanders was:

1.Reggie Goodes Replaced by Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 53rd minute
2.Dane Coles
3.Ben Franks Replaced by Chris Eves, 53rd minute
4.Jeremy Thrush
5.James Broadhurst
6.Brad Shields
7.Callum Gibbins Replaced by Blade Thomson, 52nd minute
8.Victor Vito
9.TJ Perenara
10.Beauden Barrett
11.Julian Savea
12.Ma'a Nonu
13.Conrad Smith (c)
14.Nehe Milner-Skudder Replaced by Matt Proctor 70th minute
15.James Marshall

Reserves
16.Motu Matu'u
17.Chris Eves Replaced by Ben May, 72nd minute
18.Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
19. Mark Abbott
20.Blade Thomson
21.Chris Smylie
22.Rey Lee-Lo
23.Matt Proctor