Even stevens for tantalising final

Favouritism can be an unwelcome passenger as Canterbury and Counties Manukau discovered in the weekend's NPC playoffs.

The finals format can turn over the form book or create much more anxiety than expected, like the way Hawkes Bay staggered home against North Otago.

After the manner in which they demolished Canterbury, the southern challenge from Otago for the first division title appears to offer a tantalising final against Auckland this Saturday at Eden Park. The odds should be fairly even.

Otago have added some backline tenacity and sparkle to their muscular pack, a blend of rugby which will test the entertainers, Auckland, who destroyed neighbours North Harbour in the second semifinal.

The result was done and dusted after 25 minutes. Harbour froze while Auckland had the muscular thrust mixed with the accurate elan they promised to deliver this season.

Auckland demolished Harbour at the breakdown and got such a roll-on from their quick ball that Harbour could not regroup in defence.

It was scintillating stuff, ruggedly compelling, with the passes which fell to earth last week in the Ranfurly Shield challenge sticking this time to blue and white mitts.

There were some quibbles as referee Bryce Lawrence ignored the advice of his touch judges about infractions in two of Auckland's first four tries. And there looked to be a forward pass in Mils Muliaina's try straight after halftime.

Auckland were in the mood while Harbour were somewhere else.

The visitors won the second half but lost their chance to push for marginal Super 14 selections, sagging under pressure and missing a chance to remedy their winless playoffs record against Auckland.

Auckland have qualified for their eighth NPC final since the playoffs format started in 1992 and are the heavy hitters of the series.

They have won all seven of their previous finals while Otago have had a solitary success in 1998 and lost four other deciders.

On Saturday, coaches Pat Lam and Shane Howarth watched their side dictate play putting into practice what they had trained at all week.

After the frustrations of the shield challenge, the lack of quick ball which led to other mistakes, Lam ordered a technical rethink from his players at the rucks and mauls.

"I thought from one to 15 were outstanding at clearing rucks and making sure our ball wasn't slowed down and that enabled us to play," Lam said.

"That first 20 minutes was just outstanding rugby, it was clinical. That was our theme, making sure we were precise because we let ourselves down last week on that."

In the opening stages Angus Macdonald scored twice, while Keven Mealamu and Doug Howlett also dotted down.

While the tries were crisply taken, the lead-in work mentioned by Lam was the eye-catching stuff, like the passing under pressure from Isa Nacewa and Jerome Kaino, the gas and offload from Saimone Taumoepeau and the sniping running from Tasesa Lavea.

After analysing Harbour's work in the last month, Lam thought they had been given too much freedom by their opponents.

"We just had to get physical, we had to shut down Rua [Tipoki], Anthony [Tuitavake] and Luke [McAlister] and put some pressure on Nick [Williams] and at setpiece. It was very much the same gameplan we took into the game in round one."

It was all too sharp and too fast for Harbour although they came back with some tasty tries with the best from wing Viliame Waqaseduadua.

Auckland captain Justin Collins said he thought Harbour would offer more.

"Mind you, it was a little hard to keep up with, as Pat said, the way we cleared rucks really well and got quick ball and it is hard to stop a team when they are on a bit of a roll like that," he said.

Nacewa was sharp outside the adventurous Lavea while Muliaina added thrust and defensive solidity at centre in his first start.

The Final

Auckland v Otago

Eden Park

7.35pm Saturday