Taieri is through to the Dunedin premier final.
Of course it is through.
The Eels have batted aside every challenge this season and cruised to a 30-0 win over Dunedin in the semifinal at Peter Johnstone Park on Saturday.
They are chasing a third consecutive title and will start as hot favourites at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
Southern will join them, but just. The Magpies edged Kaikorai 36-33 in an extra-time thriller at Bishopscourt.
Southern trailed 30-11 at one point, but scored three tries to force extra time, before sealing the win with a late penalty.
Taieri 30
Dunedin 0
The game was played in deplorable conditions with driving rain and wind ripping down Peter Johnstone Park in incessant volumes, and Taieri showed why it will be tough to beat at the Greenhouse in the final.
The Eels played into the conditions in the first spell and completely shut Dunedin out of the game.
They controlled territory and possession and basically hid the ball from Dunedin.
Their defence was impregnable and they punished errors regularly.
Taieri led 8-0 at the break playing into a 15-point wind, and Dunedin’s day was nearly done. Evergreen winger Shannon Young scored the only try of the spell when he showed strength to muscle over out wide.
Dunedin played better going into the breeze in the second half but schoolboy errors from an inexperienced backline put paid to its slim chances.
Taieri captain Leroy Ferguson was on hand to dot down after the ball had been speculated through after some Dunedin errors.
The hammer blow came in the 15th minute of the second half as Dunedin pounded away on the Taieri line.
Again the Sharks turned the ball over and Taieri went 95m to score through prop Cameron Allan-McNeill, who went on to get a brace.
For Taieri, front rowers Brady Robertson and Allan-McNeill were outstanding, and Ferguson thrived at the breakdown to ensure a constant supply of possession.
First five Caleb Leef displayed coolness under pressure and his booming punt saved his team on numerous occasions. Mitch Scott looked dangerous at times in the midfield.
Tyro prop Rohan Wingham was Dunedin’s best and very powerful on the carry. Lock Konrad Lotu I’iga and flanker Josh Retter continued their stellar seasons with typical industrious displays.
Taieri, however, showed it is a class above the other teams in this competition, and Southern may need to start playing on Friday to have any chance of beating them in the final.
Southern 36
Kaikorai 33
Southern first five Jack Leslie popped over a late and wobbly penalty to seal an unlikely 36-33 extra-time win over Kaikorai at a bitterly cold Bishopscourt on Saturday.
The Magpies trailed 30-11 midway through the second half and all seemed lost.
Kaikorai had dominated the semifinal up to that point.
Hooker Henry Bell was tackling anything that moved more than half an inch, and prop Jonah Aoina was barreling his way forward with every carry.
Centre Filipo Whitehouse-Opetaia Tovio created chaos when he got a turn to run it as well.
Winger Nico Bowering had slipped over in the left corner a couple of minutes into the game. Openside Jake Russ crashed over from close range and fullback Nic Proffit finished off a midfield break from Whitehouse-Opetaia Tovio.
Southern trailed 22-0 and all it had really done was fumble the ball and give up penalties.
Hooker Jake McEwan got a yellow card for a dangerous tackle but he redeemed himself late in the half.
He rumbled over from a lineout drive and Leslie kicked a penalty either side of the half to trim the margin.
But the game appeared to have slipped out of reach when Ben Miller hauled in a skip pass and scored in the right corner.
The wind picked up in the second spell. At one stage, Kaikorai had put up a chip and it was carried back 10m.
Leslie and fullback Mackenzie Haugh starting using the wind to carve off large swathes of territory for Southern.
Kaikorai replacement lock Harrison Morton got himself a yellow card and the tide rolled in for Southern.
Veteran No8 Mika Mafi burst off the back of a 5m scrum and scored almost untouched.
Replacement back Jamie Crawford scored out wide to close the gap further.
Then, with time up on the clock, reserve prop Tafa Tafa barged over from a ruck to send the game to extra time.
Kaikorai went a man down when prop Champ Betham was red-carded for a dangerous tackle.
It was critical, and arguably cost Kaikorai the game. But Leslie still had to slot that final penalty.
It looked easy enough — 15m in from touch, 25m out. But it was into the wind.
The ground was wet and the young man’s heart must have been beating awfully fast. And faster still after he felt it leave his boot.
He has struck much cleaner kicks but probably none more important.
Dunedin semifinals
The scores
Taieri 30
(Cameron Allan-McNeill 2, Shannon Young, Leroy Ferguson, Morgan Jones tries; Braden Laing con, pen)
Dunedin 0
Halftime: Taieri 8-0
Southern 36
(Jake McEwan, Mika Mafi, Jamie Crawford, Tafa Tafa tries; Jack Leslie 2con, 4 pen)
Kaikorai 33
(Nico Bowering, Jake Russ, Nic Proffitt, Ben Miller tries; Proffitt 2 con, 3 pen)
— extra time played
Halftime: Kaikorai 22-8.
Fulltime: 30-30.
-- Rugby Writers
