North Harbour have secured home advantage for the NPC semi-finals should they qualify, after a comprehensive win over Southland at Invercargill on Saturday.
Harbour ran in 11 tries, with tournament top try-scorer Tevita Li grabbing a hat-trick, on their way to a 66-8 demolition of the bottom-placed Stags.
Li, alongside star outside backs Mark Telea and Shaun Stevenson, wreaked havoc on the Southland defence, and were instrumental in a number of tries.
Harbour halfback Jamie Booth opened the scoring with a try, after Stevenson made one of his many linebreaks of the game.
Southland halfback Robbie Robinson reduced the deficit with a penalty kick, after Harbour loose forward Cameron Suafoa was penalised for leaving his feet at the ruck.
But that would be their last score for almost 70 minutes, with Telea showing great heads-up play on attack and defence to send Li over for his first try, which also saw Robinson shown a yellow card for playing Booth on the ground.
Li quickly grabbed his second with a trademark powerful run down the left wing, bumping off Southland first-five Jack MacLeod in devastating fashion.
After orchestrating a couple of tries, it was finally time for Stevenson to grab one of his own, with Booth catching the Southland defence unaware and putting a grubber through for his fullback to latch onto.
Telea could've also had a try of his own right before halftime, but unselfishly drew in the last defender to put Bryn Gatland over for the score instead.
Harbour quickly moved to extend their 35-3 lead at the break in the second half, with Booth grabbing his second try after a slick lineout move.
Replacement back Jack Heighton crossed just minutes later, after combining well with Gatland with a quick throw-in just five metres out from the try line.
Harbour's forwards finally got their rewards for laying down the foundations for the backs to exploit with a couple of tries of their own.
Lock Felix Kalapu showed great pace to go over after another Li linebreak, before replacement hooker Jay Fonokalafi got his name on the scoresheet.
Southland would finally score their first try 78 minutes into the fixture, with winger and track star Michael Manson showing great pace to beat Telea.
But it was Harbour that would have the last say, with Li grabbing a well-deserved hat-trick, after the visitors regathered a short kick-off.
Meanwhile, Auckland came from behind to beat Taranaki 38-24 at Eden Park, to set up a 'Battle of the Bridge' quarter-final against Harbour.
Auckland centre AJ Lam and replacement Terrell Peita both scored two tries, while playmakers Harry Plummer and Simon Hickey controlled the game with their boot to lock up third spot in the evens conference.
North Harbour 66 (Li 3, Booth 2, Stevenson, Gatland, Heighton, Kalapu, Fonokalafi tries; Gatland 7 con, Heighton 1 con)
Southland 8 (Manson try; Robinson 1 pen)
Auckland 38 (Lam 2, Peita 2, Ta'avao tries; Plummer 5 con, 1 pen
Taranaki 24 (Rona, Riccitelli, Naholo tries; Perofeta 3 con, 1 pen
