Otago finished second on the table and will play against third-placed Northland.
Otago was leading the table with two games left in the regular season but after disappointing losses to Southland and Tasman, it slipped to second. Hawke's Bay qualified top after beating Taranaki 34-33 in Inglewood yesterday.
Otago beat Northland convincingly in the regular season, again at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The side, though, will have to go up a gear after dropping its standards over the past couple of weeks. Its attack
has been struggling to fire and it is lacking flow in its game.
Injuries are also a worry. Key lock Josh Dickson has missed the last two games because of a knee injury and his absence has been felt.
Outside back Vilimoni Koroi left the field on Saturday with an ankle injury, while midfield back Sio Tomkinson left the field with a shoulder injury.
In other games at the weekend, Northland beat Waikato 28-17, Wellington beat Manawatu 31-5 and Bay of Plenty beat North Harbour 37-33.
In the final game yesterday, Canterbury beat Auckland 34-33 to avoid relegation.
North Harbour goes down, although the competition may be changed next year.
Mitre 10 cup
Semifinals
Otago v Northland - Dunedin, Friday, 7.05pm
Auckland v Waikato - Auckland, Saturday, 2.05pm
Hawke’s Bay v Taranaki - Napier, Saturday, 4.35pm
Tasman v Bay of Plenty - Nelson, Saturday, 7.05pm
