All three host teams were beaten in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Kaikorai beat Taieri 25-16 at Peter Johnstone Park, Southern beat Dunedin 24-15 at Kettle Park, and Harbour beat University 32-28 at the University Oval.
Taieri, the top qualifiers, get a life but Dunedin and University are gone.
It means the teams ranked fourth and fifth at the end of the regular season will host the semifinals this Saturday.
Harbour will play Taieri at Watson Park, and Southern will play Kaikorai at Bathgate Park.
Kaikorai 25
Taieri 16
Kaikorai played the right rugby at the right time and at the right end of the field to upset the top-qualifying Eels at Peter Johnstone Park.
On a special day for the club, with No 8 Christian Lio-Willie becoming the 15th Kaikorai man to play for the All Blacks, the Demons dominated the final quarter to progress to the semifinals.
Taieri were leading 16-11 with 13 minutes to play when Kaikorai came roaring home.
Twice, they bravely turned down kickable penalties in favour of attacking lineouts, and it paid off when flanker Slade McDowall scored a try from a set-piece drive, and Ben Miller added the extras.
The game then got locked away five minutes from time with a sequence of play that was borderline miraculous in the slippery conditions.
Miller, deep inside his own half, lost his footing but got away a long, straight and low kick, and flying winger Rico Fisher out-paced the defence, nudged ahead and celebrated wildly when he dived on the ball.
Kaikorai had dominated large parts of the first half but could not find many opportunities to crack the tenacious Taieri defence.
Both forward packs set about their work with relentless intensity, and while there were still plenty of turnovers, some of the ball-handling was impressive in the near-mud.
Kaikorai’s opening try was a good one as they won a turnover, took a quick tap and kick, won another turnover, took another tap and spread it to the left for Fisher to score the first of his brace.
An Alex Honey penalty kept Taieri close, and when the Eels scrambled to shut down another couple of Kaikorai attacks then scored on the buzzer through tough prop Ethan Webber, the home side had a rather unexpected 10-8 lead at the break.
Honey added two more penalties and Miller one, but just as the second half threatened to be a battle of the boot, the Demons tore up the script.
McDowall was typically industrious for Kaikorai, props Henry Cleaver and Moana Takataka put in big shifts, and lock Sidney Fidow was a robust presence on both sides of the ball.
It was not a day for the backs but Miller produced some clever kicks and became more influential as the game progressed.
Webber and Sam Fischli never took a backwards step for the Eels, while Honey showed some lovely touches in a vastly rejigged backline missing Cameron Millar and the Whaanga brothers. — Hayden Meikle
Harbour 32
University 28
Harbour took advantage of an indifferent University side in the first half to sure a semifinals berth with a 32-28 victory at the University Oval.
The big Harbour pack took control from the outset with front-rowers Darius Fidow, Gabriel Francesconi and Saula Ma’u dictating terms up front.
Loose forwards Taylor Dale, Toni Taufa and Jeff Ikani also excelled, keeping University under pressure and forcing them into errors.
A try to Ikani in the shadow of the sticks handed Harbour an early lead.
Milne slotted a drop goal, a penalty and three conversions, while also providing his outsides with space and clean service.
His tactical kicking scrambled the University defenders and drew them into aerial ping pong and aimless kicking.
Brailey was electric out wide, proving a handful with his blinding turn of pace that University succumbed to in the final minutes of the first half when he went back-to back with two sensational long-range tries to hand the Hawks a 25-11 lead at the break.
In the final wash, it was these two tries that put the game out of reach for the students.
Pressure on the ball at the tackle led to University turning too much ball over to their opponents, but a high penalty count against Harbour kept the students in the game as it meandered somewhat in the third quarter.
When the University forward pack burst into life early in the final quarter, scoring twice from rolling mauls, it was game on with Harbour’s lead reduced to 25-23.
Harbour countered the threat with a try to Ben Fakataha.
Lanson Randell replied for University with time almost up only for Harbour to shut the game down over the final minute for a well-executed victory. — Wayne Parsons
Southern 24
Dunedin 15
Southern started the game well and their big pack put real pressure on Dunedin. They camped inside their 22m and got due reward when Josh Timu crashed over from close range.
Dunedin woke up at that point and shortly after got the ball into the hands of big winger Oscar Schmidt-Uli, who beat defenders at will and passed to fellow winger Kyan Rangitutia, who went over to narrow the gap.
Both sides then had their chances but staunch defence shut down promising movements.
A wayward Southern pass after 23 minutes was picked off by Dunedin fullback Max Webb, who scorched 65m for the try.
The Southern pack were slowly getting on top with bigger bodies and No 8 Konrad Toleafoa went over from a 5m scrum in the 34th minute to give them a two-point lead.
Dunedin regained the lead with a Cam Burgess penalty to lead by one in a see-saw affair.
Mackenzie Palmer took control of the second half with judicious kicking options to keep Dunedin pinned deep in their own territory.
The Southern pack hammered at the Dunedin line, only to be held up by stoic defence. But Palmer floated a wide pass to winger Justin Malifa to give them a six-point lead.
Dunedin sealed their own fate when they replaced two of their bigger players, prop Rohan Wingham and lock Reuben Palmer, in an attempt to speed up the game, but their scrum and lineout disintegrated completely.
Mackenzie Palmer kept the Sharks deep in their own territory for long periods, and he added a simple penalty to give Southern an unassailable lead.
Schmidt-Uli, the most dangerous back on the park, saw minimal ball but he set up a second try with a devastating break, only for the ball to be lost over the line.
Stand-in lock Caleb Hughes was far and away Southern’s best up front, and Mackenzie Palmer was the difference in the game.
Dunedin were never really in the game and did not help themselves with four chargedowns and some average kicking. Lock Curtis Palmer was their best as he ruled the Dunedin lineout and carried the ball with real energy. — Paul Dwyer
Div 1 playoffs
The scores
Kaikorai 25 (Rico Fisher 2, Slade McDowall tries; Ben Miller 2 con, 2 pen), Taieri 16 (Ethan Webber try; Alex Honey con, 3 pen). Halftime: Taieri 10-8.
Harbour 32 (Wiremu Brailey 2, Jeff Ikani, Ben Fakataha tries; Rique Milne 3 con, pen, drop goal), University 28 (Charles Engelbrecht, Steve Salalea, Ricky Jackson, Lanson Randell tries; Rico Muliaina con, 2 pen). Halftime: Harbour 25-11.
Southern 24 (Josh Timu, Konrad Toleafoa, Justin Malifa tries; Mackenzie Palmer 3 con, pen), Dunedin 15 (Kyan Rangitutia, Max Webb tries; Cam Burgess con, pen). Halftime: Dunedin 15-14.
