However, spreading wide on Rātana’s next big attack came unstuck when Knights winger Kuli Ligaitamana, about to have a team player-of-the-day performance, intercepted and ran back 70m untouched, with second five Xavier Halpin adding the extras.
The Knights followed up quickly as an attacking scrum saw the ball spread out on a set plan and fellow winger Joey Devine ran in to put his side ahead.
It looked like the home side were starting to get on top, reminiscent of their 57-12 pull-away win over Rātana during the round robin, when a charge-down near the tryline allowed them to consolidate and eventually spin the ball wide for Ligaitamana to step the last defender and get his double.
But from 19-7 down at the break, Rātana came firing in the second stanza, as a big break by second five Tex Tuvanawai brought them on to attack and after good control by the forwards with strong carries and recycles down both ruck fringes, the ball was sent out for flanker Mikaere Penetito to dive over.
Rātana then equalised after a good kick-chase into the Knights’ corner pocket eventually led to a penalty and scrum, and again the forwards rumbled up until the gap opened for lock Vance Pereka to force his way over, with Comp converting.
The Knights turned down a kickable penalty following Ligaitamana’s chip-chase, and the Rātana defence forced them to lose it and the ball was cleared, with the favourites feeling real pressure with less than 10 minutes remaining.
But then Ligaitamana cut through again, with his loose pass fortunately falling for his support, and Marist pounded Rātana’s tryline until finally reserve forward Temesi Vurakania got free on his second shunt to get the ball down through the defenders.
The Knights then sealed it two minutes from fulltime when centre Epeli Delasau hit the gap on his side of halfway and found Ligaitamana, who again stepped the last of the cover and dashed the rest of the way to score beside the posts for his hat-trick.
Rātana chose Penetito and Haplin as players of the day, while Knights naturally picked Ligaitamana, as well as Penetito.
The Knights will now host the somewhat surprise semifinal opponent of Bennett’s Taihape, as the sixth-placed team went to Rochfort Park and upset third-placed McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu 17-15 in the northern sub union derby.
Taihape took an 8-5 lead early and taking three-pointers when on offer continued to prove vital as they led 14-10 at halftime, despite Ruapehu scoring their second try.
A third try had the home side take the lead in the second stanza but late in the piece, Taihape grabbed three more points to cause a boilover and change the make-up of the semifinals.
Fourth-placed Kelso Hunterville will now travel the shorter distance to Memorial Park instead of Spriggens Park to meet the second-placed Utiku Old Boys, after both navigated their home playoffs.
But it was a close-run thing for Utiku, who held off the seventh-placed Black Bull Liquor Pirates 33-26.
Utiku had beaten Pirates 36-12 at Spriggens Park way back on April 20th, but that was before the arrival of Pirates’ cohort of Fijian talent.
The home side kept a slight edge throughout the game, leading 14-7 and then 21-19 at halftime, with a tight second half seeing them into a home semifinal, while Pirates had their third narrow defeat in as many weeks to end a what-might-have-been season.
Hunterville emerged with the most comfortable win of the quarter-finals, but even they had to work hard for their 21-7 win over two-time defending champions Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic at the domain.
Avenging their 34-27 loss at home on June 1, Hunterville scored a converted try inside the opening 10 minutes, while adding a three-pointer alongside Celtic’s converted try for a 10-7 lead at the break.
Then just like they have for the past three weeks, Hunterville showed big-game composure to score 11 more unanswered points in the second stanza to book a trip to Memorial Park, having already upset Utiku 16-12 back on June 15.
Results, June 29
Senior, Quarter-finals
Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights 29 Tāmata Hauhā Rātana Brotherhood 19. HT: 19-7.
Memorial Park: Utiku Old Boys 33 Black Bull Liquor Pirates 26. HT: 21-19.
Rochfort Park: Bennett’s Taihape 17 McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu 15. HT: 14-10.
Hunterville Domain: Kelso Hunterville 21 Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic 7. HT: 13-7.
Semifinal draw (kickoff times TBC)
Spriggens Park: Marist Knights v Taihape
Memorial Park: Utiku Old Boys v Hunterville