North Harbour know exactly what they have to do this afternoon in Whangarei.
The final game of the Mitre 10 Cup regular season sees Harbour needing two competition points to qualify for the semifinals for the first time since 2006.
They had a chance to cement their Championship playoffs berth on Wednesday, but a 27-all draw with Tasman left them on tenterhooks. They then had to watch Bay of Plenty steam home last night with a 26-24 win against Hawke's Bay to leapfrog Manawatu. Harbour have beaten both Bay of Plenty and Manawatu, so they should be good enough to secure at least two points, if not the win, against the Taniwha, who have had just one victory in 2016.
Harbour should be in the box seat to finish third, which would see them heading to the capital for next weekend's semifinals. In fact, they cannot place fourth, so it is third or bust.
Steve Jackson's charges have received a boost with the return from injury of loosehead prop Nic Mayhew, while lock Brandon Nansen may also be back, though he was bracketed. Bryn Hall swaps with Chris Smylie for the halfback berth.
