Tasman have booked a spot in the Premiership semi-finals after a 34-22 National Provincial Championship win over Wellington.
The loss ends the Lions' hopes of playoff rugby, despite a late comeback that threatened to undo all of Tasman's good work for the first hour.
The Mako led 24-0 inside 30 minutes at Blenheim's Lansdowne Park, but Wellington slowly clawed themselves back into the match, trailing by just a try with five minutes to play.
But an Anton Segner try sealed the fate of both sides for the pandemic affected 2021 season.
The win seals an eighth-straight final four appearance for the defending champions, who finished in fourth spot, after Canterbury's 40-28 win over Bay of Plenty later on Saturday earned the red and blacks third on a tie-break.
Tasman scored five tries in total through Quentin MacDonald, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Levu Aumua, Jacob Norris and Senger, while the outstanding Mitchell Hunt added nine points with the boot.
Taine Plumtree, Jackson Garden-Bachop and Tyrone Thompson dotted down for the Lions while Auden Morgan struck two conversions and a penalty.
Tasman head to Napier next week to play Hawke's Bay, while Canterbury will play Waikato.
