App users click here.
Hawke's Bay 36 Northland 24
Hawke's Bay - 2 Lowe, 2 Fomai, Visinia, Dixon tries; McClutchie 3 conversions
Northland - Li, Grant, Robinson, Tua tries; Hawkins 1 conversion, Cooper 1 conversion
Fulltime - The Magpies have done it. They have won the championship in front of their home fans and gained promotion into the premiership.
75 mins - TRY NORTHLAND to Tamati Tua
Tua has stolen the ball at the breakdown and has broken off down field to score untouched to give Northland a glimmer of hope. Cooper converts the try. (HBY 36-24)
73 mins - Northland are camped down inside their own 22 but have possession. After nine phases they get down to halfway but give away a breakdown penalty to stall their momentum.
67 mins - NO TRY HAWKE'S BAY
The Magpies are having fun now, Makene gets his nose through the line before offloading to Ili. He produces a perfect offload and finds Flanders who scores in the corner.
But agin we have gone upstairs to check a forward pass. The try has been ruled out for a forward pass. Another let-off for the Taniwha.
Crowd attendance: 7,500
64 mins - The confidence is streaming through the home side. Flanders goes through a massive hole in the Taniwha defence and gets just five metres out but Scott Gregory wins a crucial penalty to ease the pressure.
58 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Ash Dixon
Ash Dixon won't be denied a for a second time. The attack started when Fomai was brought down inches short of the line. After six phases the Magpies come wide and find Dixon who smashes his way over. Makene can't convert the try. (HBY 36-17)
55 mins - NO TRY HAWKE'S BAY
The Magpies are on fire and are running away with this fire. The attack all started way back in their half where Visinia breaks clear and gets into the 22. They attack through their forwards and go so close before they go wide and Dixon strolls over.
But refereee has now gone upstairs for a potential knock-on. It has been ruled out for a knock on in the lead up to the try. Massive call for Northland and remain only 14 points down.
53 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Neria Fomai
Northland are attacking just inside the home sides half but the Magpies win a breakdown turnover and turn defence into attack. From the next phases Fakatava breaks clear and gets into the backfield.
He steps the final defender but his grabbed from behind but he offloads to Fomai who gets his second try for the night. McClutchie converts the try. (HBY 31-17)
49 mins - A scrappy period of play since the Magpies try has seen both sides make errors. Hawke's Bay scrum on their own 10m line where Fakatava darts down the wing before putting in a great grubber kick and it goes into touch on the Taniwha 22.
44 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Jonah Lowe
Both sides are feeling each other out to start the second half with both looking to gain territory. The Magpies have possession just inside their half. Lowe breaks down the right wing and throws a great dummy and fools the final Taniwha defender and crashes over in the corner. McClutchie converts the try. (HBY 24-17)
Kickoff - Northland get us back underway in this championship final.
Halftime - What a half of rugby we've had and the two sides can't be separated. The defence has gone missing and we have seen both sides score three tries apiece.
The Taniwha made a great start and Li crashed over after five minutes. After a slow start from the home side they woke up and got two tries in four minutes through Lowe and Fomai. It was then Northland's turn to get two tries on the troat through Grant and Robinson before the home side struck back and levelled the scores through Visinia.
37 mins - Northland are back on the attack and are looking dangerous. After eight phases Tamati Tua puts in a dangerous grubber kick but Robinson who is looking to regather the ball and score can only tackle a man without the ball to give away a penalty. A big let-off for the Magpies.
34 mins - A try saving interception from Dan Hawkins has stopped a certain try. The Magpies keep the ball alive and produce three brilliant offloads before Baker breaks clear. He tries to draw and pass the final defender but Hawkins reads it perfectly and has intercepted the pass.
32 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Lolagi Visinia
The defence has gone missing in this game and the Magpies are in again. The home side produces a strong attacking maul before they go wide through their backs. A great set move from the Ranfurly Shield holders finds Visinia who crashes over out wide. Fakatava can't convert the try. (17-17)
28 mins - TRY NORTHLAND to Tom Robinson
A great team try from the Taniwha has them back in front. The away side come wide and find Jone Macilai who makes strong run and sticks his nose through the line before he produces a miracle offload to Robinson who uses his speed to score in the corner. Hawkins can't convert the try. (NOR 17-12)
23 mins - The Magpies are straight back on the attack through a lineout drive and are just five metres out. Fakatava darts off the back of the maul but a try saving tackle from Hawkins stops a certain try. The attack comes to nothing but referee comes back for a penalty.
Home side go for another lineout but it's not straight. Big let off from Hawke's Bay.
20 mins - TRY NORTHLAND to Will Grant
This topsy-turvy game has continued with Northland getting their second try. Northland have responded well from the Magpies two tries and are back on the attack.
A strong run from Kara Pryor has the Taniwha just 10m out. After seven phases, Ranger makes a mini-break and is just three metres out before he offloads to Will Grant to crash over.
Hawkins can't convert the try (12-12)
16 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Neria Fomai
After a nery start the home side areon fire. A great determined run from Funaki who struggles his way through the Northland defence before offloading to Fomai who goes over under the posts untouched. McClutchie converts the try. (HBY 12-7)
12 mins - TRY HAWKE'S BAY to Jonah Lowe
After attacking through their forwards, the Magpies come down the short side and Stacey Ili puts in a great grubber kick to find Lowe who crashes over out wide. McClutchie can't convert the try. (NOR 7-5)
10 mins - Northland clear their lines but Baker is tackled in the air. McClutchie gives the Magpies a lineout 15m out.
8 mins - TRY NORTHLAND to Luatangi Li
Taniwha's terrific start to this contest has paid off with Li going over for their first try. From a scrum five metres out, the away side attack through their forwards. After five phases, Li picks-and-goes and crashes over under the posts. Dan Hawkins converts the try. (NOR 7-0)
5 mins - Magpies have taken a quick lineout but it has backfired. The Taniwha have forced Kurt Baker into his own in goal area. Northland scrum just 5m out.
3 mins - After Northland clear, the Magpies start their attack on halfway but knock the ball on. Nervy start from the home side.
Kickoff - Hawke's Bay will get us underway. The Magpies contest the kickoff but knock the ball on. Scrum to Northland on their own 22.
*****
7:03pm - A beautiful day in Napier with perfect conditions for attacking rugby for this championship final.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of this Mitre 10 Cup Championship final between Hawke's Bay and Northland.
Updates will begin from 7:05pm.
McLean Park is the venue for tonight’s championship final, with the winners gaining promotion to the Premiership in 2021.
Hawke's Bay thumped Taranaki 59-23 in their semi-final last week. The home side will hope to go one step further than last year, when they lost to Bay of Plenty in the final.
The Magpies have made just one change to their starting XV, with Lincoln McClutchie named to start at first-five, replacing injured Caleb Makene.
The only other change to the Magpies' playing 23 sees hooker Kianu Kereru-Symes come back onto the bench in place of Jacob Devery.
Northland are looking to cap off their terrific season with a win in their first grand final in two decades. The Taniwha recorded an impressive 32-19 victory over Otago in the semi-finals last week.
Northland have made one change from their semi-final victory over Otago, with halfback Sam Nock ruled out with hamstring injury and replaced by Will Grant. Corey Taylor will come onto the bench.
TAB: Hawke's Bay $1.12, Northland $5.65
Hawke's Bay: 1-Pouri Rakete-Stones, 2-Ash Dixon (c), 3-Joe Apikotoa, 4-Geoff Cridge, 5-Tom Parsons, 6-Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, 7-Solomone Funaki, 8-Devan Flanders, 9-Folau Fakatava, 10-Lincoln McClutchie, 11-Jonah Lowe, 12-Neria Fomai, 13-Stacey Ili, 14-Lolagi Visinia, 15-Kurt Baker
Reserves: 16-Kianu Kereru-Symes, 17-Jason Long, 18-Namatahi Waa, 19-Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20-Gareth Evans, 21-Connor McLeod, 22-Caleb Makene, 23-Ollie Sapsford.
Northland: 1-Luatangi Li, 2-Jordan Olsen (c), 3-Coree Te Whata-Colley, 4-Josh Goodhue, 5-Sam Caird, 6-Tom Robinson, 7-Kara Pryor, 8-Sam Mcnamara, 9-Will Grant, 10-Dan Hawkins, 11-Jone Macilai, 12-Tamati Tua, 13-Rene Ranger, 14-Jordan Hyland, 15-Mathew Wright
Reserves: 16-Tyler Kearns, 17-Ross Wright, 18-Kaololo Tuiloma, 19-Kane Jacobson, 20-Matt Matich, 21-Corey Taylor, 22-Johnny Cooper, 23-Scott Gregory
