They ended on the same points as Mid Canterbury (eighth) but place ahead of them due to the Coast beating them earlier in the competition.
Gear's posse head to Levin Domain this weekend for a semifinal against Horowhenua-Kapiti.
North Otago play Mid Canterbury in the other semi.
“We always knew the top team, undefeated South Canterbury, would be tough but I was happy,” said ex-All Black Gear under who the Coast have won four matches over the 12 weeks.
“The score didn't reflect how well we did,” he said. “We missed opportunities so I'll assess those. We'll aim to rectify our errors this week.
“We had one eye on this Saturday going into last weekend, yet got some really good things out of that game which'll benefit us come finals footy.”
South Canterbury head coach Nigel Walsh admired the Coast's pluck.
The game was what the home team thought it would be as the Kaupoi threw everything they had at the opposition, the hosts absorbing the pressure in an effort to wear the visitors down.
“East Coast have a big pack and were very physical — not a surprise,” South Canterbury co-captain and halfback Willie Wright said.
“They've been going well this season and in the last couple of years have been close to producing the performances that they are now. We came out after halftime and finished the job.
“We wish the Coast boys all the best and hope they can give the Lochore Cup a nudge because that'd be good to see.”
NPEC captain Sam Parkes identified key areas requiring improvement.
“We had good patches of play but they're a slick outfit and pulled away from us in the end. Basic handling errors crept into our game.”
The Coast's Most Valuable Player was workaholic No.7 Will Bolingford while the hosts' left-wing Kalavini Leatigaga was named their MVP in his 50th game.
On a sunny day and a firm turf, South Canterbury, running into a whiff of an easterly breeze, kicked off.
First-five Sam Briggs — the competition's leading points-scorer who ended the game on 111 points — set up the first try of the match in the 11th minute.
NPEC turned over the ball near halfway and after eight phases from sideline to sideline, Briggs sent the ball, via a deft crossfield kick, into the hands of Leatigaga for his 44th try in the green and black colours.
A bust from fullback Liueli Simote set up second five Zac Saunders for a try beneath the crossbar in the 17th minute and Briggs' conversion made it 12-0.
NPEC came into their own three minutes before the break.
From a lineout five metres from the right corner, hooker Joe Royal found lock Richard Green and from a drive down the touchline, Royal went over.
The home side replied when Leatigaga beat four would-be tacklers before picking Saunders up 30m from the goal-line and he scored just to the left of the posts.
Briggs converted for 19-5.
Six minutes after the resumption, blindside flanker Loni Toumohuni scored the first of his first two tries from a lineout drive and Briggs converted for 26-5.
In the 62nd minute, reserve No.8 Tangi Savelio caught a midfield bomb from replacement halfback Theo Davidson in Coast territory and hulked 40m before gifting Saunders his hat-trick with an inside pass.
Another Briggs conversion made it 33-5 and four minutes later Toumohuni completed his double in the right corner from a lineout five metres out.
Savelio got a well-deserved try in the left corner in the 70th.
Davidson added another try in the 74th, weaving in and away from a standing start 22m out to score under the bar — bread and butter for the boot of Briggs (50-5).
A magnificent short pass from reserve hooker Melvin Pauni to right-wing Lisate Folau gave the home side their ninth try, which Briggs converted.
Waikato referee Michael Winter and fellow officials Jackson Henshaw and Matt Gollins had excellent games.
For the Coast, there were glimpses of second-half brilliance but no try to supplement the Kaupoi forwards' grand effort to see Royal home.
First five Carlos Kemp, with ball in hand, came close to mesmerising the No.1 team in the competition — almost putting blindside flanker Jorian Tangaere clear — and reserve fetcher Jack Richardson's copybook tackle on huge reserve lock Etienne Van Zyl was memorable.
The Coast will aim for many more than two such moments at Levin in be a make-or-break Lochore Cup semifinal clash with Heartland titan Ryan Shelford's Horowhenua-Kapiti.
