The Old Golds trailed 46-43 entering the final minute of play in their Lochore Cup semifinal in Oamaru on Saturday.
Launching one final assault, they spun the ball wide to Seva Druma, who found space.
He flirted with the touchline but was able to pass back inside to Ben McCarthy, before he too was almost bundled into touch.
McCarthy then threw the ball back infield to no-one.
Druma, still on his feet, scooped up the loose ball and scored the match winner.
The Old Golds celebrated while Poverty Bay players lay slumped on the ground.
More good news followed for North Otago when Horowhenua-Kapiti upset Whanganui in the other Lochore Cup semifinal.
It means North Otago will host the Lochore Cup final against Horowhenua-Kapiti at Maheno this Sunday.
The Old Golds and Poverty Bay combined for 94 points and 15 tries in a fantastic display of rugby — unless you were a defence coach.
While their attacking play was a spectacle, both sides fell off countless tackles and were caught out of position frequently.
Poverty Bay made a fast start with a strong wind behind them, scoring two quick tries before North Otago got rolling.
When the Old Golds decided to end the Sisyphean task of kicking into the wind and play with ball in hand, things started to click.
They strung some phases together and worked their way down the field.
As they went wide, Tini Feke threw a lovely delayed ball to Ben Paton, who burst through the gap and drew in the final defender to put Druma away to score.
Epineri Logavatu was the next Old Gold to cross the white line with some smart thinking at the breakdown.
He cleared out the Poverty Bay defenders then decided to reach back and pick the ball up one-handed before he dashed away to score.
Poverty Bay fullback Nic Proffit, who chalked up 25 points in the match, exploited the North Otago back three being out of position as he stabbed a grubber in behind which he regathered and scored.
Junior Fakatoufifita scored for North Otago off the back of some grunt work by the forward pack before Poverty Bay extended their lead to 12 thanks to a Proffit penalty and a Bosca Tikicidre try.
Tries either side of halftime for North Otago tied the match up.
Two more tries to Poverty Bay had them threatening to run away but a Hayden Tisdall score kept the Old Golds in it.
Poverty Bay scored again with just 10 minutes to play before a piece of individual brilliance from Paton set up a beauty of a try.
From the kick-off, Paton took to the air and reeled the ball in the ball one-handed.
He then scampered through a hole and linked up with Cameron Rowland, who ran around and scored near the sticks.
McCarthy added the conversion to set up the grandstand finish.
The other Lochore Cup semifinal featured a rather unusual finish.
It was 18-18 at fulltime but Horowhenua-Kapiti utterly dominated extra time to beat Whanganui 40-18.
Mid Canterbury kept their unbeaten season rolling with a 21-19 win over Wairarapa-Bush in a Meads Cup semifinal.
They will host Thames Valley, in a repeat of last year’s final, after the Swamp Foxes thumped South Canterbury 61-31.
Lochore Cup semifinal
The scores
North Otago 48
Seva Druma 2, Epineri Logavatu 2, Junior Fakatoufifita, Mitch Morton, Hayden Tisdall, Cameron Rowland tries; Ben McCarthy 4 con
Poverty Bay 46
Nic Proffit 2, Bosca Tikicidre 2, Kyoni Te Amo, Ngahiwi Manuel, Silas Brown tries; Proffit 4 con, pen
Halftime: Poverty Bay 29-24.
