The students will play the dominant South Pacific Raiders in the final at Forsyth Barr Stadium this weekend.
Both teams started the match with high intensity, showing their desire to get through to the final.
Eagles captain Kail Spooner directed play and made numerous breaks through the defensive line.
Both teams successfully completed their sets, but tenacious defence kept both teams out of the in-goal areas, and a lack of support runners and wayward passes meant neither team could capitalise on its opportunities.
University captain Dexter Buchanan led by example with his play, breaking tackles and advancing up the field.
The Eagles consistently provided clean ball from dummy-half, but struggled when the ball approached the wings and during tackles.
Silapa Halangahow showed aggression, hitting the University defence hard and fast.
University looked set to open the scoring but a break by David Stiven was cut short by a slippery surface.
The first points came when Blair Foster broke the line and elected to dummy and step the fullback to score right under the posts, giving University a 6-0 lead that was intact at halftime.
After the break, the Eagles' intensity lifted and they spent time pressing the University defence, without success.
The students went further in front when a deft long ball from Foster to Brogan Jackson found a big overlap on the right wing, and the result was an easy try.
It seemed the floodgates had opened when Joe Bywater crashed over the line to score a third try for the students.
But the Eagles were quick to send a reminder they were not going to give up a spot in the final without a fight.
A lovely backhand pass from player-coach Dave Broughton to Adam Mitchell resulted in a try as the Eagles tried to claw their way back into the game.
But University must have seen weakness in the Eagles' right wing, as it again produced a long ball from James Devoe to Jackson, who ended up across the line.
A no-arms tackle on Jackson across the line resulted in a penalty being added and an eight-point try.
Geoff Hursburgh added the final points to the scoreboard as he dotted down on the left wing.
By Thomas Heaton.
