Otago 44 (J.Hill, S. Gilbert, V. Koroi, F. Vahaakolo 2 tries; J. Ioane 3 pens, 4 cons, C. Millar con) Manawatū 16 (B. Iose, J. Maraku tries; S. Cruden 2 pens) Halftime: 13-3
FULLTIME - An emphatic win by the visitors, who'll face Taranaki or Southland in next Friday's final. Click here for a full wrap and highlights.
79 mins - TRY MANAWATU to Josiah Maraku
The centre takes one pass off the ruck and barges over in the corner for a consolation try. (Otago 44-16)
74 mins - TRY OTAGO to Freedom Vahaakolo
Barnstroming 50m run down the edge by the big wing, who brushes aside two tacklers to run in his second of the night. Ioane converts. (Otago 44-11)
67 mins - TRY OTAGO to Freedom Vahaakolo
Replacement halfback James Arscott does really well to free his arms and dish up a short ball to his bursting wing, who takes the angle to dash 22m to put the nail in the coffin. (Otago 37-11)
62 mins - TRY MANAWATU to Brayden Iose
Stroke of luck for the Turbos, who bungle their 5m attacking lineout but are able to scramble first to a loose ball from an Otago ruck. Cruden can't convert. Is there life in this one yet? (Otago 30-11)
59 mins - Hammington grubbers for Faddes who comes agonisingly close to forcing the ball for another Otago try. Back they come for an obstruction and Otago will launch again.
Flag that, Ioane will take the gift three points on offer here instead. This is getting ugly. (Otago 30-6)
52 mins - TRY OTAGO to Vilimoni Koroi
Touch of individual brilliance there from Ioane, who carves himself a hole to shoot through before dropping a grubber to sit up perfectly for his wing to hit in stride. That was pretty. Ioane puts the icing on it with a sideline conversion. (Otago 27-6)
51 mins - Penalty Otago. Ioane wants a crack here, 40m out on the angle... but it drifts wide.
46 mins - TRY OTAGO to Sam Gilbert
Lovely short ball from Williamson to Gilbert, who runs a superb angle to go in under the posts untouched. Conversion is over. (Otago 20-6)
44 mins - Turbos grab a penalty back, then claim a bonus 10m for some backchat. Cruden cashes in with an easy three points. (Otago 13-6)
41 mins - Wind at the Otago backs now. Early penalty gives them good field position to attack.
Second half underway....
HALFTIME
38 mins - TRY OTAGO to Josh Hill
Hill barges his way over from close range after some clinical lead-up play by the Otago backs. Ioane converts. (Otago 13-3)
33 mins - Blindside raid ends with a misunderstanding in midfield just 5m shy of the line. Otago will feed a scrum.
Ioane breaks down the left edge and Otago are back inside the Turbos' half. Plenty of space on the wing for Koroi but the pass he receives is deemed forward. Scrum Turbos at their 10m.
30 mins - Turbos shifting the ball, giving it some width and building patiently as they enter the Otago 22m. Penalty advantage cashed in. They turn down the shot and look to the 5m lineout.
26 mins - Turbos win a penalty and Cruden obliges for their first points of the game. (Otago 6-3)
23 mins - Turbos starting to find their groove with ball in hand. Another penalty helps their cause, lineout at the Otago 22m.
20 mins - Turbos recycle well but the Otago defence continues to hold. Penalty will shift them to a lineout at the Otago 10m
16 mins - Milner-Skudder sends a kick out on the full. Otago will throw an attacking lineout at the 10m.
Otago win a penalty near the Turbos 22m. Handy range here for Ioane... nudges it over. (Otago 6-)
11 mins - Turbos move into the Otago half for the first time. Penalty goes their way. Cruden will try to tie things up from 40m straight in front... sends it wide.
8 mins - Otago looking threatening with ball in hand, they earn another penalty at the ruck. Ioane will take a shot at goal, 35m into the wind on the angle... he's on target. (Otago 3-0)
7 mins - Koroi with a half break. Coltman carries. Tomkinson finds touch at the Turbos' 22m.
4 mins - Turbos counter-ruck and turn the ball over. Clear danger back to the 22m for a lineout.
2 mins - Otago win a penalty at the ruck. Ioane takes us to a 5m lineout, early chance here for the visitors.
1 min - Turbos receive and immediately clear. Otago keep the ball in play, the to the Turbos' 10m line, they go.
We're underway...
7pm - A warm and clear evening in Palmerston Vegas. All signs point towards some open, running rugby.
There's been a late blow for the Turbos, with first-five Brett Cameron scratched from the starting side with injury. Stewart Cruden will wear the No. 10 jersey in Cameron's absence.
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Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live coverage, as Manawatū and Otago face off to claim the first spot in the NPC Championship final.
The teams last met in early October, when Manawatū handily dealt with Otago by a scoreline of 27-14.
Whoever emerges victorious will advance to next Friday's final, where the winner of the second semi-final between Taranaki and Southland in Inglewood on Saturday will await.
We'll have all the live action for you from 7pm.
TAB betting odds: Manawatū - $2.35, Otago - $1.54
Team line-ups:
Manawatū: 1-Harrison Allan, 2-Ray Niuia, 3-Flyn Yates, 4-Micaiah Torrance-Read, 5-Ofa Tauatevalu, 6-TK Howden, 7-Shamus Hurley-Langton, 8-Brayden Iose, 9-Logan Henry, 10-Stewart Cruden, 11-Ed Fidow, 12-Jason Emery, 13-Josiah Marakau, 14-Tima Fainga'anuku, 15-Nehe Milner-Skudder
Reserves: 16-Ben Strang, 17-Jason Gavigan, 18-Darius Mafile'o, 19-Vaikoso Poloniati, 20-Johnny Galloway, 21-Griffin Culver, 22-James Tofa, 23-Drew Wild
Otago: 1-Josh Hohneck, 2-Liam Coltman, 3-Jermaine Ainsley, 4-Joshua Hill, 5-Josh Dickson, 6-Sam Fischli, 7-James Lentjes, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Kayne Hammington, 10-Josh Ioane, 11-Vilimoni Koroi, 12-Patelesio Tomkinson, 13-Matt Faddes, 14-Freedom Vahaakolo, 15-Sam Gilbert
Reserves: 16-Ricky Jackson, 17-Abraham Pole, 18-Tau Kolomatangi, 19-Fabian Holland, 20-Slade McDowall, 21-James Arscott, 22-Cameron Millar, 23-Raymond Nu'u