AT A GLANCE

Taniwharau winger Malcolm Noda dropped a bomb, but Tigers centre Issac Robinson was ruled to be in front of the kicker before scoring.

So the score remained 14-0 at halftime, leaving the hosts plenty of work to do.

But their task was made that much more difficult when the Tigers scored three minutes into the second spell.

A sloppy pass to five-eighth Te Moana Tai Rakena had him knock it backwards before moving it left to Calcinai, who gave it to Wallace to cut back inside through the defence.

With a couple of early penalties also costing Taniwharau in the second half, the Tigers were looking unstoppable, notching their fifth try after 48 minutes when the ball was again shifted left through slick hands for Puru to hit it with pace.

In the set after the kickoff Taniwharau lock Dana Ratu made a huge play to strip the ball one on one, but a few plays later the ball was lost.

The hosts did manage their first points soon after though, when, in the 52nd minute, the move went right and Noda had the defensive line guessing before giving it to centre Joel Thompson who finished in style.

At 24-4, the Tigers interestingly opted to go for goal when they received a penalty due to a high tackle, with 21 minutes to play.

Calcinai slotted it from 33 metres to push the visitors further ahead.

As the clock ticked away, Taniwharau weren’t able to find any consolation and it was the Tigers who finished the final the stronger.

Tamaiva came up with a 40/20 kick and then the hosts lost prop Chris Fox to the sin bin for a shoulder charge in the 72nd minute.

With two minutes remaining, the Tigers rubbed salt into the wound, when Leilua made a great break down the right touchline and threw the ball inside for his second row brother Fa’a to pick up and give to lock Nicholas Read to score under the bar.