Otago have booked their place in the Championship semi-finals after adding further misery to a winless Southland side with a 43-19 victory in Dunedin.
Winger Mitchell Scott was first to go over for the home side, scoring the try after a powerful Otago scrum only a few metres out from the Southland line.
The visitors responded with a try of their own through fullback Lewis Ormond who scored in spectacular fashion in the right hand corner after some enterprising play.
Otago immediately reasserted their dominance with a tries to centre Sio Tomkinson and winger Jona Nareki to give them the 22-5 lead at halftime.
The second-half picked up where it left off, with Otago scoring their fourth try bonus point through Teihorangi Walden after he was put through a gaping hole in the Southland defence close out.
Ormond scored his second try of the match, but things quickly got ugly for the Stags as flanker Phil Halder was shown a yellow card for a late and dangerous tackle.
Further tries to Otago through replacements Latu Vaeno and Jonah Aonia sealed the victory as Southland end their 2017 season without a win.
Newshub.