There was tension and drama right down to the last act of the dramatic club final at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
Taieri beat Dunedin in the last minute when Hayden Parker kicked a 47m penalty to give his club its third championship banner.
Taieri has made a habit of keeping its supporters on tenterhooks this year with its close wins, and left it to the last second on Saturday.
The crowd of 4000 erupted into applause and the Taieri team rushed into a huddle to celebrate.
Taieri coach Jason Macdonald was full of emotion when captain Charlie O'Connell held the shield aloft.
The coach had lived every second of the drama and tears of joy flowed down his face.
Macdonald captained Dunedin to the championship banner in 2005 and his Taieri team clinched another banner in his first year as a premier coach.
"I'm a proud man but an emotional wreck as well," Macdonald admitted.
Dunedin dominated the first spell and led 19-8 at the break.
The shield seemed destined to return to Kettle Park.
A fired-up Dunedin pack took the game to Taieri and kept control of the ball throughout the first spell.
The loose trio of Gareth Evans, Hugh Blake and Mitchell Zandstra dominated the breakdown.
Evans made the decisive act of the first half when he broke from a scrum at halfway after 32 minutes.
He ran 30m into the Taieri 22m and pacy halfback Brad Weber was up in support to score the try.
This looked to be the game-breaker with Dunedin leading 19-3.
Evans and Dunedin hooker Sam Anderson-Heather were the best players on the paddock and made it difficult for Taieri's players to get their hands on the ball.
Anderson-Heather was dynamic in the tight-loose and his rugged tackling brought Taieri attacking movements to a full stop.
Weber always looked dangerous with his sniping runs and Tumua Ioane was defensively strong in midfield.
Dunedin fullback Liam Edwards kicked six goals from eight attempts to score 17 points and end the season on 199 points.
He missed one goal from 56m but landed another from 53m.
Taieri was desperate for points and kicked for the corner instead of for goal in the last minute of the first spell.
Lock Karl Bloxham won the lineout and the pack drove him to the line for Taieri's first try.
The momentum of the game changed after five minutes in the second half when Parker broke past the rushed Dunedin defensive screen from 60m out and sped into the Dunedin 22m.
Centre Michael Collins was up in support and fed the ball to winger Kieran Moffat, who used his strength to break through tackles near the line and score his 13th try of the season.
The momentum had shifted in Taieri's favour and the Eels looked in control when Parker landed his third penalty midway through the spell and the gap was reduced to one point.
However, Dunedin regained the initiative and controlled the next 15 minutes.
It had the chance to pin Taieri back into its own 22m by kicking to the corner.
But the tactical kicking of the backs lacked direction and accuracy and gave Taieri an escape route.
Moffat, Parker and Michael Collins were the best Taieri backs and No 8 Charlie O'Connell and flanker Willis Scott were the best of the forwards.
Dunedin final
The scores
Taieri 24
Karl Bloxham, Kieran Moffat tries; Hayden Parker con, 4 pen
Dunedin 22
Brad Weber try; Liam Edwards con, 5 pen
Halftime: Dunedin 19-8.
