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Taranaki 25 Southland 13
Taranaki - Florence & Crowley tries; Perofeta 5 penalties
Southland - Van Vugt try; Banks 2 penalties & conversion
Second half
40th minute - Sowakula charges off the back of the scrum and Taranaki pour towards the Southland posts. Double blast on the whistle and Te Tamaki is shown a yellow card - the Stages will play the final seconds a man short.
The final siren sounds, as Southland win a defensive lineout. They're trying to find a way out of their 22 and Banks kicks wide for his winger, but it finds touch and the game ends.
Taranaki continue their unbeaten run and will host Otago for next week's championship final.
39th minute - Southland knock on and Taranaki have an attacking scrum to burn up some time, as the final seconds tick down.
38th minute - Southland keeping the ball in hand inside their own 22, desperately seeking a try to keep the contest alive, but they're going nowhere.
36th minute - Taranaki break out of their own half, but Naholo is tackled into touch and his pass infield rolls forward. The ball is hacked forward, but knocked on again on the tryline, which is where Southland will have a scrum.
35th minute - Perofeta slots the penalty from in front, TAR 25-13
34th minute - Southland win the scrum and Banks tries to run from his own line, but they're penalised at the breakdown and Taranaki have a chance to ice the win right here.
33rd minute - Untidy lineout from Taranaki and Boshier can't gather the throw cleanly - Southland scrum.
32nd minute - Taranaki win a lineout and the forwards maul forward - they have advantage, but Waldon takes the move into the 22. Eventually, they play the penalty for offside and Taranaki kick for the corner.
31st minute - Potroz kicks high towards Dyer and he returns to halfway.
28th minute - Big scrum from Taranaki and they win a penalty. Perofeta lines up another shot at goal and slots it, TAR 22-13
27th minute - Sowakula and Crowley try to work a move off the back of the scrum, but the ball is spilled - Southland feed. You get the feeling the Stags have a shot, if they can be the next to score.
25th minute - Banks kicks high from this own 22, but Taranaki control it and earn a scrum in centrefield.
24th minute - Taranaki throw into a lineout, but Southland win it on their own 22.
23rd minute - Crowley pumps a high kick and Dyer is equal to it, Southland keep the ball in hand and eventually clear.
21st minute - Taranaki on attack and win a penalty in midfield. Perofeta will take another shot at goal... but he slices it right.
20th minute - Renton puts a kick ahead that holds up in a puddle, but Perofeta clears his 22.
Stags win the lineout, but Banks knocks on and Taranaki hacks the ball deep into Southland territory.
18th minute - Taranaki win a lineout, but in midfield, Waite spills the slippery ball in a tackle and Southland have a scrum feed on halfway.
17th minute - Big scrum from Southland, but Potroz clears. Stags win a lineout and go back on attack, but they concede a penalty.
15th minute - Banks kicks off long and the Southland chase puts pressure on Perofeta, who clears his 22.
From the lineout, Stags pout forward, but turn the ball over. They win it back, but Waanga loses the ball forward - conditions are terrible out there.
13th minute - Southland scrum is penalised for not staying square and Perofeta will take a shot at goal. He guides it between the posts, TAR 19-13
12th minute - Southland's throw to the lineout is crooked and Taranaki have an attacking chance from a scrum on the 10 metre mark.
11th minute - Taranaki kick off long, but Southland win a clearing penalty for a high tackle on Te Tamaki.
Ninth minute - TRY to Van Vugt
Southland win the throw at the back and Van Vugt charges through the middle, stretching out to find the line. There's a pile of bodies and play is whistled up, but the replay confirms a try.
Banks bends his conversion down the middle, TAR 16-13
Eighth minute - Southland attack down the left through Van Vugt and eventually win a penalty at the breakdown. Banks kicks to the corner this time.
Seventh minute - Naholo knocks on a high kick and Southland have a midfield scrum.
Fifth minute - Taranaki haven't cleared the ball very far and eventually concede a penalty in their own 22. Banks points to the posts again, but slices his attempt.
Fourth minute - Southland have an attacking lineout on the Taranaki 22, but lose their throw.
Third minute - Potroz puts his kick high this time, but Van Vugt leaps high to claim and Southland win a relieving penalty.
Second minute - Potroz rolls another kick along the ground and Taranaki pour onto attack. Alaimalo finds touch.
First half
40th minute - Halftime arrives, as Potroz kicks for touch, and the teams head for shelter from the rain.
38th minute - Banks pumps a high kick towards Perofeta, but he's rock solid and Taranaki break out of their half. They knock on and Southland earn a lineout inside Taranaki half.
37th minute - From the scrum, Waanga chages off his own line and wins a clearing penalty at the breakdown.
36th minute - Riccitelli's throw to the lineout is not straight.
35th minute - Boshier wins the lineout and Taranaki set the maul. Eventually, the ball emerges and Potroz stabs a kick to the goal-line, but Dyer slides in to cover the threat.
Taranaki have a penalty back at the maul and Potroz pumps to the corner again...
34th minute - Big scrum from Taranaki wins a penalty and Potroz kicks to the corner again.
32nd minute - Kneepkens takes a high kick inside his own half and builds up speed, but the ball is knocked on into touch.
31st minute - Williams wins the lineout throw, but Slater spills the ball forward and Southland will feed a defensive scrum.
30th minute - Taranaki have a lineout penalty, so they creep further down the sideline, into the Southland 22.
29th minute - Potroz takes a high ball awkwardly and Taranaki win a clearing penalty.
28th minute - Potroz rolls the ball into the Southland 22, but Dyer returns with interest, finding touch just outside the Taranaki 22.
27th minute - Perofeta slots the penalty from in front, TAR 16-6
26th minute - Taranaki lay seige on the Southland line and have a penalty advantage. They throw the ball right, but Kneepkens spills a long pass from Potroz, so they come back for the penalty.
24th minute - Southland steal the ball on their own 22, but knock on, so Taranaki have an attacking scrum.
23rd minute - From the kickoff, Banks' clearances slices off his boot and Taranaki have a lineout near the Southland 22.
22nd minute - Banks slots it from about 40 metres out, TAR 13-6
21st minute - Southland steal a lineout throw in their own half and kick long. Waanga finds touch, but good gain for the Stags.
From the lineout, Southland win a penalty and Banks points to the posts...
19th minute - Riccitelli is heading to the sideline for Taranaki, he needs some repairs.
From the kickoff, Taranaki struggle to control the sliding, bouncing ball, but they have a clearing penalty.
18th minute - Taranaki win a penalty for a high tackle by Everson. Perofeta tees the ball up in front of the posts, just outside the 22, and slots it, TAR 13-3
16th minute - Potroz puts a high kick into the Southland 22 and Banks gathers on the bounce, clearing to just outside the 22.
15th minute - Banks curls his attempt inside the left upright, TAR 10-3
14th minute - Southland scrum disintegrates, but Banks puts a kick downfield. They're playing advantage for offside and Banks lines up a shot at goal...
13th minute - Profitt has failed his concussion exam, so Donald Brighouse is here to stay for Taranaki.
10th minute - TRY to Crowley
Sowakula charges right off the back of the scrum and Crowley runs an inside line for his pass to score. Perofeta seems to scuff that conversion attempt as well, TAR 10-0
Ninth minute - Crowley puts a rolling kick into the Southland 22 and Dyer knocks on, so Taranaki have an attacking scrum about 10 metres out.
Eighth minute - Southland win the lineout, but are penalised at the breakdown, as Sowakula gets over the ball for Taranaki. Potroz finds the sideline near halfway.
Seventh minute - Crowley feeds a defensive scrum and Portroz clears from his line.
Sixth minute - Stags charge into the 22 and move the ball left, but it's spilled just metres from the line.
Fifth minute - Banks puts a kick into the Taranaki half and Crowley spills it, Southland feed a scrum just outside the 22.
Fourth minute - TRY to Florence
From the lineout, Boshier finds a gap and charges through, with Florence on his shoulder. The flanker slides over on his back, held up in a tackle by Alaimalo - given as a try on the field.
It's inconclusive, but ref's call stands - first blood to Taranaki. Perofeta scuffs his conversion attempt from wide, TAR 5-0
Third minute - Taranaki prop Jared Profitt heads to the sideline for a concussion test, after banging his head in a tackle.
Second minute - Taranaki with the ball in hand inside their own half... they win a clearing penalty, with McKee offside at the breakdown.
First minute - Perofeta kicks off his 50th game for Taranaki and Southland keep the ball in hand for a couple of phases before clearing.
Taranaki win the first penalty and Potroz finds touch.
Taranaki had the servies of All Blacks lock Scott Barrett last week, but he's missing from the line-up today.
Weather conditions are abysmal, pouring with rain and wet underfoot. Will be slippery.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NPC championship semi-final between Taranaki and Southland at Inglewood.
The high-flying home team have gone unbeaten through their campaign this season and are furious that COVID-19 lockdowns have seen promotion-relegation suspended for the year.
Of course, they must still win the championship crown and they'll face a determined challenge from the Stages, who can probably count themselves fortunate that Auckland-based teams North Harbour and Counties-Manukau had to drop out of the competition.
Southland edged Northland for the final semi-final spot and are fizzing for their first taste of post-season footy in ages. That was their only win this season, but they were unlucky to fall to Canterbury, after normally reliable goalkicker Marty Banks missed a late penalty and the red-and-blacks got up in overtime.
Coincidentally, these two sides met in the final round of regular season fixtures, with Taranaki extending their winning run 24-10.
TAB Odds: Taranaki $1.13, Southland $5.40
Taranaki: 1-Jared Proffit, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 3-Michael Bent, 4-Kaylum Boshier, 5-Micky Wooliams, 6-Tom Florence, 7-Bradley Slater, 8-Pita Gus Sowakula 9-Logan Crowley, 10-Jayson Potroz, 11-Kini Naholo, 12-Teihorangi Walden (c), 13-Daniel Waite, 14-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 15-Stephen Perofeta
Reserves: 16-Mills Sanerivi, 17-Donald Brighouse, 18-Kyle Stewart, 19-Scott Jury, 20-Mitchell Crosswell, 21-Liam Blyde, 22-Daniel Rona, 23-Vereniki Tikoisolomone
Southland: 1-Joe Walsh, 2-Flynn Thomas, 3-Chris Apoua, 4-Joel Everson, 5-Mike McKee, 6-Grayson Knapp, 7-Matt James, 8-Tony Lamborn, 9-Josh Renton, 10-Marty Banks, 11-Rory Van Vugt, 12-Matt Whaanga, 13-Isaac Te Tamaki, 14-Solomon Alaimalo, 15-Greg Dyer
Reserves: 16-Jacob Payne, 17-Shaun Stodart, 18-Tom Ross, 19-Ben Ross, 20-Hayden Michaels, 21-Lisati Milo-Harris, 22-Jordan Stewart, 23-Solofa Silipa