Southern ousted Taieri 28-23 at Peter Johnstone Park and Dunedin produced a powerful second-half display to out-muscle Kaikorai 34-27 at Bishopscourt.
Dunedin 34
Kaikorai 27
Dunedin took the direct route all the way to the final.
The Sharks out-muscled Kaikorai in a dominant second half to win 34-27.
There was not always a lot finesse or enterprise about their approach.
They barged the ball up one at a time and probed for weaknesses.
It was a game plan out of the stone age but that did not make it any less effective.
Kaikorai played a more sparkling brand of rugby and moved the ball wide at every chance.
That was also really effective until they found themselves starved of the ball.
Dunedin’s forward pack took over in that second stanza.
The Sharks had trailed 19-13 at halftime but took the lead after towering lock Reuben Palmer stretched over to score.
He had a strong game and was not going to be stopped from that close.
Replacement winger Jay Davis slipped over in the corner in a good moment for the backs. And hooker Harry Press got in the boot of the lineout to score and stretch the lead to 34-22.
Kaikorai had had virtually no ball in the red zone in the second spell. First five Ben Miller went over in the corner to give the home side some late hope.
He rushed the conversion and missed. But Nic Profit burst through a hole and made a threatening run towards the line in the final moments of the match.
Dunedin found a way to snuff out the danger and close the game out.
But at halftime this game looked like it would go Kaikorai’s way.
The Demons played some courageous and exciting rugby. They ran the ball from everywhere and some of the moves swept almost the length of the field.
Winger Mefiposeti Tupou was a constant threat. Flanker Lucas Casey has impressed all season and stood out again.
Centre Troy Anstiss made some lovely touches, including an over-the-head pass to Tupou who scored in the corner.
But Dunedin wrestled back control of the game with blunt force. Palmer was excellent. Loosie Konrad Lotu-I’iga made his presence felt as well.
Halfback Tim Hogan shone and Joe Cooke had a solid game at second five. He bumped his way to the try line in the first half as well.
And fullback Ryan Watterston had useful day with the boot. He nailed four penalties and a conversion. — Adrian Seconi
Southern 28
Taieri 23
Southern flanker Konrad Toleafoa scored a late try to secure a 28-23 victory against Taieri and book a home final this weekend.
The defending champions began their semifinal encounter with Taieri at Peter Johnstone Park in rampaging fashion.
Their forward pack got on the front foot right from the kickoff when No8 Ned Pene split the Taieri midfield with a powerful run from his own 22m and deep into Taieri territory.
From that moment Southern dominated up front. Front rowers Jay Tofaeono, Jake Mcewan and Tafa Tafa led the way with powerful surges with ball in hand.
They also featured in a solid first line of defence with locks Corban Agar and Aron Einarsson.
Any chance Taieri had of encroaching into Southern territory was turned back with interest from the powerful boot of fullback McKenzie Haugh.
Haugh got Southern on the board early with a 40m penalty goal. After that the Magpies set up camp in the Taieri half and launched a series of raids and Tofaeono scored.
Taieri’s pack could not penetrate Southern’s first line of defence, so the Eels went wide. A nice cross-kick found fullback Joe Cockburn waiting out wide and he dive over for a try.
Haugh’s kicking game came into its own. Toleafoa re-gathered one and burst up-field before off-loading to Mcewan, who had ranged up in support and he went in.
Southern were gifted successive penalties which Haugh converted from 40m out.
As the curtain came down on the first half, Bob Martin landed a penalty for Taieri to close the gap.
Trailing 21-8, Taieri came out firing in the second half, dominating territory and possession. But they were unable to turn it into points until the 62nd minute, when Taieri backed its scrum to do the business and No8 Jesse Hutton got across.
Taieri bolted right back on to attack from the restart with Cockburn scoring in the corner from another cross-kick. Taieri took the lead with 8min remaining from a penalty goal.
Waking from its slumber, the Southern forward pack pounded away deep in the Taieri 22m in an attempt to wrestle the game back.
They eventually did so in the last minute when Toleafoa burst over from a maul. Haugh added the extras to help secure an opportunity for back-to back titles. — Wayne Parsons
Dunedin semifinals
The scores
Dunedin 34 (Joe Cooke, Reuben Palmer, Jay Davis, Harry Press tries; Ryan Watterston con, 4 pen), Kaikorai 27 (Harrison Morton, Zackary Cleaver-Donovan, Mefiposeti Tupou, Ben Miller tries; Miller 2 con, pen). Halftime: 19-13 Kaikorai.
Southern 28 (Jay Tofaeono, Jake Mcewan, Konrad Toleafoa tries; Mackenzie Haugh 2 con, 3 pen), Taieri 23 (Joe Cockburn 2, Jesse Hutton tries; Bob Martin con, 2 pen). Halftime: 21-8
