Right from the start of the season - and probably well before that to be honest - Hawkes Bay and Wellington looked the two sides who would line up in the ITM Cup championship final.
Both sides have deep pockets, plenty of experience and good players in key areas.
And that is exactly the way it has played out. The two sides will face each other in Napier on Friday night.
Hawkes Bay beat Bay of Plenty 33-26 in Napier in the first semifinal on Saturday afternoon while Wellington, in the end, did it convincingly against Otago at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night, winning 34-14 after leading 17-7 at the break.
Otago gave it a good go but did not have enough ball or field position to be in contention throughout the match.
A kick can only be as good as a chase and Otago was not great in that area, as many of the Wellington players did not have any pressure on them when they fielded kicks.
Add a poorly performing lineout from Otago - at one stage Otago lost four lineouts in a row - and there was only ever going to be one winner.
Wellington has the best defence in the competition and it showed on Saturday night, knocking over Otago players and attacking the breakdown.
Its kicking game was clinical and Otago struggled for field position right throughout the match.
A couple of strange calls from referee Paul Williams did not help Otago. Penalising Otago players for standing in front of the kicker at a side of a ruck was a puzzling decision, to say the least.
This must happen at least 100 times a game, yet Williams found foul of Otago to gift Wellington the first points of the game.
Big Wellington prop Reg Goodes then made a strong run up the middle to help put halfback Frae Wilson across for a try.
Further good work from the Wellington forwards gave second five eighth Marvin Karawana a try halfway through the second half.
Otago finally got some field position near the end of the first half and flanker James Lentjes burrowed over to score a try.
Otago needed to score first in the second half but it never convinced and after 15 minutes, Wellington No8 Ardie Savea went over under the posts from a scrum which should have been stopped, as the front rows went up.
The game continued to ebb and flow but Otago lacked the continuity in its play to get close. With just under five minutes left, replacement loose forward Adam Knight went over from a rolling maul.
Wellington, though, had the last say when it shifted the ball wide. Any one of five players could have scored and first five eighth Jonny Bentley went over.
Otago's best was Lentjes and second five eighth Tei Walden, while prop Craig Millar got round the paddock.
Auckland won the national women's title on Saturday when it beat Wellington 39-9 in Napier. Auckland led 10-6 at the break but pulled away to win easily.
Otago v Wellington
The scores
Wellington 34
Frae Wilson, Marvin Karawana, Ardie Savea, Jonny Bentley tries; Jackson Garden Bachop 4 con, 2 pen
Otago 14
James Lentjes, Adam Knight tries; Peter Breen con, Fletcher Smith con
Halftime: 17-7
