Wakatipu successfully defended the White Horse Cup, beating a hungry Clyde-Earnscleugh 27-10 at the Queenstown Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The win means Wakatipu needs just one more home win over Cromwell in three weeks' time to secure the most prized possession in Central Otago rugby for the season.
In a physical match Wakatipu matched up well in the forwards, thanks to a cameo appearance from coach and former Highlander Kelvin Middleton, who provided some inspiration in the pack.
Nerves showed early for Clyde-Earnscleugh and before long, Tony Farley had scored from fullback and banged over a penalty to get Wakatipu out to a 10-point lead.
The visitors hit back before halftime with a try to Shane Excel, which went unconverted.
In the second half, Wakatipu extended its lead with another try before Clyde-Earnscleugh wing Kurt Checketts crossed, keeping his side in touch.
With 15 minutes to play and the score at 17-10, the match was in the balance. Then rangy Wakatipu lock forward Henry Youngman plucked a Corey Crosbie pass out of mid-air and ran 45m to score. Danny King then iced it with a jink, a step and a 60m sprint to score.
Openside flank Marcus Balchin was man of the match for Wakatipu and had another outstanding game at ruck time. Clyde-Earnscleugh's best was its blindside, Reuben O'Connell.
