East Coast's win was its eighth in the Heartland competition. It dropped just the one game to South Canterbury.
North Otago led 10-8 at halftime but the big East Coast forward pack began to dominate in the second half and the arrival off the bench of the experienced Rua Tipoki midway through the second spell paid dividends.
North Otago coach Barry Matthews had nothing but praise for the North Otago effort.
"They gave it everything. I'm very proud of them. They came out firing and today I don't think we could have played much better to be honest," he said.
"But East Coast is a very good side. They dominated the scrum but the boys stuck to the game plan and gave it everything.
"You can't ask for more than that. In fact the game could have gone either way."
North Otago midfielder Billy Guyton opened the scoring in the 13th minute but, seven minutes later, East Coast's talented first five-eighth John Semple kicked the first of his three penalties.
Midway through the second quarter, East Coast won good ball on the North Otago 22m line and Semple showed the ball, opening up the North Otago defence to score wide out and give the home side an 8-3 lead.
Five minutes from halftime, Guyton missed a long-range penalty but, from the kick-off, North Otago burst through the defence and halfback Tala Fagasoaia outpaced the opposition to give North Otago a 10-8 halftime lead.
Semple kicked his second penalty a minute into the second half to put his side back in front but, almost from the kick-off, North Otago tighthead prop Rangi Hepi blasted through tackles to set flanker Jack Wolfreys up for North Otago's second try and a 15-11 lead.
North Otago was caught offside from the kick-off and Semple narrowed the gap to a point.
Midway through the spell a bruising run from East Coast tighthead prop Ziggy Fisiihoi sent flanker Brent Ingram in for a try to put East Coast back in front 19-15. At this stage, second five-eighth Pomare Samupo was replaced by Tipoki.
With Tipoki on, East Coast began kicking for the corners and then a pushover try from a lineout by lock Everard Reid put the home side 11 points ahead and North Otago had to chase the game.
It was a bridge too far.
Matthews said East Coast in the end deserved to win"We had a couple of chances but really on the day East Coast was the better side and they'll be hard to beat at home in the final next week.
"I think that North Otago should be proud of the team. We had 17 new players at the start of the season and to make the Meads Cup playoffs with our population and only six clubs, I think it's quite outstanding especially when you see provinces not too far away with a lot more players not making the Meads Cup."
Next Saturday in the Meads Cup final in Ruatoria, the home side will play Wanganui, which struggled to beat Wairarapa-Bush on Saturday 23-20 after just getting home 22-19 over King Country in the final qualifying round.
In the Lochore Cup final, Buller, which beat Poverty Bay 42-22 after leading 31-3 at halftime, will host South Canterbury, which scored six tries as it defeated Mid Canterbury 48-20.
By Terry O'Neill.
Heartland Champs
The scores
East Coast 26
Brent Ingram, Everard Reid, John Semple tries; Semple 3 pen, con
North Otago 15 Tala Fagasoaia, Jack Wolfreys tries; Billy Guyton pen, con
Halftime: 10-8 North Otago
