The Steel used the exhibition match to give its squad a run and to try out different combinations before its five pre-season games in Sydney next weekend.
Janine Southby's experimental starting line-up played the entire first quarter and jumped out to an early lead thanks to some smooth feeds into the circle by wing attack Gina Crampton.
Captain Wendy Frew started at centre alongside Stacey Peeters at wing defence, leaving Storm Purvis and Jane Watson to make up the defensive end.
Sophia Fenwick, starting at goal shoot, was particularly impressive alongside Te Paea Selby-Rickit in the circle, and the Steel took a 16-9 lead into the second quarter.
However, a flurry of turnovers - 12 in the second quarter - resulted in the Steel quickly falling behind and the Steel trailed a clinical Canterbury side 27-19 at halftime. At one stage, the Steel turned the ball over seven times in as many possessions, as Canterbury made life difficult with its ball-hawking defence.
Even the introduction of star goal shoot Jhaniele Fowler-Reid made little difference, as Canterbury's defence cut off the supply to the circle with stifling midcourt pressure.
The third-quarter line-up of Fowler-Reid, Fenwick, Shannon Francois, Crampton, Peeters, Watson and Phoenix Karaka looked sharp.
Karaka, who was named player of the match in the Silver Ferns' 89-23 win against Samoa last week, grabbed three quick turnovers early in the quarter, allowing Peeters and Francois to find Fowler-Reid under the hoop on the counterattack.
However, Canterbury hit back to take the third quarter 16-11, the final quarter 20-8 and win the pre-season match for a third straight year.
Everyone on the Steel's 12-strong roster got a run, except for goal shoot Brooke Leaver, who sat out the match with a niggle.
Southern Steel assistant coach Reinga Te Huia said the game was all about trying combinations.
''I think we are at where we expected to be at for this time of the season. It's been a really good hit-out for us, because we have only played against some local players in Dunedin and Invercargill.
''So it was quite nice to have some tougher competition, and against some players that have been together for a few years,'' she said.
''We changed the combination every quarter, so it was about getting the girls out there and giving them some time together.''
With Francois and Karaka away with the Silver Ferns last week and Fowler-Reid tied up with Jamaica earlier in the month, it was the first time this pre-season the entire team - minus Leaver - had trained together.
Te Huia said the team would take ''bits and pieces'' from the game, doing some ''great stuff'' and highlighting some areas to work on.
The Steel leaves for Sydney next Thursday for five pre-season games.
