The South Pacific Raiders will take all the momentum into the Otago final this weekend.
The Raiders are humming after finishing strongly to thump Otago University 44-12 in the final round of the season on Saturday.
That result clinched the minor premiership and gives South Pacific plenty of confidence, especially as it had to fight back from 12-10 down at halftime.
Halfback Louis Tili directed the Raiders attack expertly and made use of his devastating ball-runners, particularly Champ Betham and Israel Otunuku, to break University’s line of defence through sheer strength.
With 34 unanswered second-half points, the Raiders will feel confident they can beat anyone if they play at their best.
University can at least build on its efforts in the first half, though it will be licking some wounds after the subsequent mauling.
The Kia Toa Tigers beat the Waitaki Warriors 46-20 in the dead rubber game.
Both sides have had interrupted seasons, and struggled to field a first-choice squad at times, so it was hard to predict the outcome of the clash.
Kia Toa might have been bottom of the competition, but it delivered some scintillating moments on attack.
Both teams fielded a swag of new players this year and will be keen to build on what they have learned for 2023.
