It's been 24 years since Manawatu was the last side outside of the five main centres to win the national provincial championship title; it's been even longer since Taranaki had a taste of the business end of the competition.
But after beating Auckland to reach their first ever top-tier final, Taranaki showed just why they were the strongest side in the ITM Cup. While a double from Charlie Ngatai in the second spell sealed the spoils, there were plenty of other heroes.
Many of them could be found in the defence that restricted Tasman early and survived a frantic fightback late, while Cody Rei's perfect night with the boot was instrumental in keeping his side's noses in front throughout the game.
Waisake Naholo also deserved extra credit, given the wing last month helped his side clinch home advantage when his solo try saw Taranaki steal a 31-30 victory over the Makos.
It was a similarly tight affair tonight, and one of provincial rugby's most vocal crowds in recent memory surely played its part. Taranaki and Tasman were even enough in quality - both finishing the regular season on 38 points - that even the smallest of edges counted big.
That much was evident throughout a hectic game in which both teams took their turn on the ropes, absorbing every thrust from the opposition attack before launching one of their own.
Tasman excelled early in that area, soaking up plenty of pressure relying on the method that booked a final place. Counter-attacking has been at the heart of everything Tasman did well this season and they continued to strike with speed at every opportunity.
It was far from reckless abandon, though, as their opening try illustrated, completing 14 phases before Kieron Fonotia drove his way over the line. Unperturbed, Taranaki quickly turned the tables, breaking with real pace downfield before showing enough patience to earn a penalty that saw Rhys Marshall take a quick tap and burrow over.
The gap stood at six points at the break - with the teams following the nail-biting script their earlier encounter produced - but it was a gap that meant Tasman had to come from behind for the first time all season.
The degree of difficulty involved in that task increased dramatically in the nascent stages of the second spell, when Ngatai was the benefactor of an advantageous bounce to score his side's second. And things soon got even worse for Tasman when the second-five picked off Tom Marshall's loose pass to complete a brace.
Tries from Billy Guyton and Peter Samu ate into the deficit and gave Tasman a glimmer of hope in repeating their Championship win with a victory in the Premiership, but Guyton's second after the hooter came just too late.
Taranaki 36 (R. Marshall, C. Ngatai 2 tries; C. Rei 5 pens, 3 cons)
Tasman 32 (K. Fonotia, B. Guyton 2, P. Samu tries; M. Banks 3 cons, 2 pens)
HT: 16-10
