FULLTIME - Tasman have run in eight tries - including a hat-trick to Sevu Reece - to Northland's three in a dominant evening in Blenheim. Check out the video above for some of the game's stand-out tries.
Tasman 54 (Sevu Reece 3, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Andrew Makalio, Fetuli Paea, Will Jordan, Jacob Norris tries; Mitch Hunt 5 con, Tim O'Malley 2 con) Northland 21 (Kara Pryor, Harrison Levien, Luatangi Li tries; Wiseguy Faiane 3 con). HT: 19-7
80 mins - A penalty, a 5m lineout, and one last crack at a try here for Tasman. Another penalty after the hooter, but Havili shows some mercy and kicks into touch.
74 mins - TRY TASMAN - Havili fires a bullet of a long pass to find Reece, who finishes in the corner for his third of the night.
73 mins - Another 5m lineout for Tasman, they've been relentless here tonight.
71 mins - Delicate grubber into the in-goal, Reece flying in, leaps to ground it, but on review it appears as though he may have missed the ball completely. TMO rules accordingly, no try.
70 mins - Tasman looking to respond immediately, as they have done all night. Penalty, 5m lineout coming up.
67 mins - TRY NORTHLAND - Textbook drive from the lineout sees prop Luatangi Li crash over for Northland's third try.
65 mins - Northland on attack, grubber behind the line, ball bounces about off various legs and hands, and Johnny Cooper is one the end of it. They're claiming a try. Review suggests a Mako hand has grounded it. No try, but back for a penalty and a 5m lineout.
59 mins - TRY TASMAN - Jacob Norris storms on to a short inside ball off a set lineout play and bolts 15m to score next the posts. The big man loved that!
54 mins - TRY NORTHLAND - Put that one down to two huge surges from Tom Robinson, who delivers the final pass inside for Harrison Levien to dot down.
52 mins - TRY TASMAN - Simple overlap, Jordan draws and passes to Reece who does brilliantly to reel it in with one hand and jog it over the line out wide. Hunt slots the conversion from the sideline.
51 mins - Tasman lineout at the Northland 10m. Faingaanuku wreaking havoc again down the right edge....
48 mins - TRY TASMAN - Sensational try from the Mako. Starts inside their own half with a wiper's kick, Paea links with Faingaanuku, wh's dragged down just short but manages to get a pass away and Jordan finishes the movement. Hunt converts.
45 mins - TRY TASMAN - Patient build up play leads to Fetuli Paea being driven over the chalk to open the second-half scoring. Conversion is easy for Hunt.
42 mins - Penalty in front of the posts. Tasman call for a 5m scrum.
41 mins - Fantastic kick from Jordan traps Gregory and gives Tasman an immediate crack at the line.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
40 mins - TRY NORTHLAND - Well-worked try from the Taniwha. Gregory on a short ball, powers his way inches short of the chalk, and Pryor is there to take the quick ball and score. They needed that.
39 mins - Northland making some hard earned metres, inside the 22m. Another penalty for Northland, card can't be too far away. 5m lineout Northland.
37 mins - Penalty Northland. They'll throw the 22m attacking lineout.
34 mins - Northland with some extremely rare attacking ball. Probably the first time they've been inside the Tasman 22m here. Lineout is won and the Taniwha attack.
33 mins - Here come Tasman again, but a defensive penalty gives Northland a chance to relieve the pressure.
30 mins - Wide ball to Reece, who chains no less than three sidesteps and a fend together to cross the line. But the TMO will have a look at this, possibly a knock-on earlier in the movement. No try, we'll have a Northland scrum at the 22m.
29 mins - More attacking ball here for Tasman off the back of another penalty. Frizell carries tacklers with him as they near the 22m...
26 mins - TRY TASMAN - Hooker Andrew Makalio burrows his way over from close range. Hunt converts.
23 mins - Scrum Tasman in the centre of the park. Huge shunt from the Mako and they win another penalty. 5m lineout forms.
19 mins - TRY TASMAN - Simple crossfield kick from MItchell Hunt is beautifully taken and dotted by Leicester Faingaanuku before the big wing tumbled into touch. Conversion literally bounces on the black dot and over.
18 mins - Tasman penalty sees them throw a lineout just 10m from the Northland line.
15 mins - Northland having some trouble exiting here, 90% of the game has been played inisde their own half. Clearing kick out, but only as far as their own 10m. Knock on at the lineout, Northland scrum.
11 mins - Tasman earn a penalty for a high tackle. They'll launch from a 5m lineout. Knock on, and Northland survive for now.
6 mins - Northland under pressure but win a penalty. Lineout at half way.
3 mins - TRY TASMAN - Quick lineout throw exposes an overlap and Sevu Reece exploits it with his trademark speed, scoring in the corner. Conversion wide.
2 mins - Northland counter-ruck well and win possession, clear to touch for a lineout near their 10m.
1 min - Tasman instantly on the offensive, rumbling past the Northland 10m line.
We're underway...
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Kia ora and welcome to live coverage of the defending champion Tasman Mako hosting the Northland Taniwha at Landsdowne Park in Blenheim.
We'll have live commentary from 7pm.
Betting odds:
Tasman - $1.01 Northland - $16.00
Line-ups:
Tasman: 1-Isi Tu'ungafasi, 2-Andrew Makalio, 3-Tyrel Lomax, 4-Mahonri Ngakuru, 5-Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 6-Shannon Frizell, 7-Jacob Norris, 8-Hugh Renton, 9-Dwayne Polataivao, 10-Mitchell Hunt, 11-Leicester Faingaanuku, 12-David Havili, 13-Fetuli Paea, 14-Sevu Reece, 15-Will Jordan
Reserves: 16-Quentin MacDonald, 17-Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18-Isaac Salmon, 19-Suafoa Cameron, 20-Braden Stewart, 21-Louie Chapman, 22-Tim O'Malley, 23-Tima Faingaanuku
Former All Blacks fullback and Mako skipper David Havili has returned from an extended injury absence and fill a spot in the midfield, after breaking his thumb while on duty with the Crusaders in July.
The line-up features five changes from last week's starting XV, although All Blacks Tyrel Lomax, Shannon Frizell, Sevu Reece and Will Jordan will again take the field.
Northland: 1-Luatangi Li, 2-Jordan Olsen, 3-Tyler Kearns, 4-Josh Goodhue, 5-Sam Caird, 6-Tom Robinson, 7-Kara Pryor, 8-Sam McNamara, 9-Sam Nock, 10-Wiseguy Fiane, 11-Pisi Leilua, 12-Tamati Tua, 13-Rene Ranger, 14-Jordan Hylad, 15-Scott Gregory
Reserves: 16-Paddy Atkins, 17-Ben Tou, 18-Coree Te Whata-Colley, 19-Temo Mayanavanua, 20-Matt Matich, 21-Harrison Levien, 22-Johnny Cooper, 23-Blake Hohaia
An unknown injury has forced All Blacks midfielder Jack Goodhhue out of Northland's line-up to face the defending champion Mako, with Tamati Tua taking his place at second-five.
The change is one of two Northland have made to their side, with Wiseguy Faiane named to start at first-five and Dan Hawkins omitted from the matchday squad.
