Waikato have booked their spot in the Farah Palmer Cup final and kept their maiden title hopes alive with an impressive semi-final performance.
The final will fittingly feature the competition's two only undefeated teams, after Waikato beat Manawatu Cyclones 31-14.
Waikato will come up against three-time defending champions Canterbury, who beat Auckland 36-21 in the first semi-final at Christchurch.
Canterbury have hosting rights for next Saturday’s final, after winning the south division with a superior points per game during the regular season, with north teams playing one game more.
Waikato will make only their second appearance in the Grand Final, with their previous outing in 2014 resulting in a loss to Auckland.
The semi-final clash was between two sides who really struggled last year, with only one win between them. Waikato came into the contest as red-hot favourites and thoroughly delivered on that tag with a comfortable victory.
The Mooloos came out on fire, taking only three minutes to score the opening try. Captain Chelsea Alley powered over to give Waikato the best possible start.
Things went from bad to worse for the Cyclones, when Mooloos prop Tanya Kalounivale muscled her way over for 1 12-0 lead inside 10 minutes.
Manawatu made Waikato’s life easy at times with simple rookie mistakes. Stacey Fluhler’s long cut-out ball sent wing Cheyelle Robins-Reti over eight minutes before halftime, after the Cyclones failed to find touch from a penalty.
Down 19-0 at the break, the Cyclones needed a miracle to get back into the contest and their chance came, when Robins-Reti was yellow-carded two minutes into the second stanza for an off-the-ball tackle on Selica Winiata.
But they couldn’t take advantage of the extra player and Waikato made them pay.
Five minutes later, Fluhler made a dazzling run down the left wing to put the result beyond doubt for the Mooloos, who continued to pour on tries with NZ sevens star Fluhler grabbing her second for the afternoon, coasting 40 metres, after a great run from Carla Hohepa.
Manawatu scored two late consolation tries - through replacement halfback Paige Lush and wing Rangimarie Sturmey - to restore some respectability, but it was too little too late.
Waikato 31 (Stacey Fluhler 2, Chelsea Alley, Tanya Kalounivale, Cheyelle Robins-Reti tries; Alley 3 conversions) Manawatū 14 (Paige Lush, Rangimarie Sturmey tries; Selica Winiata 2 conversions). HT: 19-0.
