RECAP: Hosts Queensland Country will contest both the men's and women's Australian Rugby Shield deciders after emerging victors once more on Sunshine Coast.
Day 3 saw the Heelers and Orchids extend their winning ways while NSW Country Cockatoos (men) and ACT & SNSW Kestrels (women) also remained unbeaten to punch their Shield final tickets.
Relive all the action from Days 1 and 2 at Caloundra Rugby Club.
Meanwhile the Tasmania Jack Jumpers produced one of this year's most memorable wins with a drought-breaking 33-22 victory over Queensland Suburban.
Read on for full Day 3 replays and match wraps:
NSWC Cockatoos 45 (Peden 2, Friend, Walton, Grant, Beach, Hubbard tries; Grant 5 cons) def ADFRU Men 15 (Burgess, Hill, Jenkins tries)
NSW Country men avenged their earlier women's loss with a convincing 30-point win over ADFRU to book a dream Shield finale with bitter rivals Queensland Country.
With a decider berth on the line, the Cockatoos ran in seven tries to three with standout flanker Robert Peden rewarded for his efforts with a brace.
Flyhalf Tute Grant (one try, five conversions) was also influential in the face of a physical Defence outfit who never gave in, scoring three tries after oranges to keep their fancied rivals honest.
QLDC Orchids 22 (May, Douglas, Whipp, Doblo tries; Beardmore con) def SA Black Falcons Women 14 (Kelly, Ikahihifo tries; Kelly, Cousins cons)
The Queensland Country women will join their men as Shield finalists after toppling a tough South Australian outfit by eight points on Saturday.
The Orchids ran in four tries to two and enjoyed a strong scrummaging platform but the Black Falcons refused to go away, striking through star fullback Nikki Kelly and talismanic backrower Ana Ikahihifo to keep the fire burning.
It took a late Eva Doblo try to finally sink the South Australians with Queensland Country now set to tackle ACT & SNSW Kestrels for the silverware.
TAS Jack Jumpers 33 (Lombard, Lovell, Chand, Scarfe, Balducci tries; Pieters 4 cons) def QSRU Subbies 22 (Welch, Cunningham, Bakhbakhi tries; Papuni 2 cons, Papuni pen)
The Jackies notched a historic win on Saturday afternoon with their 33-22 victory ending six years of Shield heartache.
Queensland Suburban entered the contest as favourites following Thursday's last-gasp win over South Australia but the Tasmanians had other ideas with Kyle Lombard and Aron Lovell stealing opportunistic tries before half time and a late flurry seeing Jone Chand, Thomas Scarfe and Enzo Balducci cross the chalk.
Subbies will nevertheless progress to tomorrow's 3rd place playoff on points differential with Tassie set to tackle the SA Black Falcons men for 5th.
ACT & SNSW Kestrels 24 (Maslen, Brewer, Ravouvou, Verebalavu tries; Ravu, Lucas cons) def NSWC Corellas 3 (Colman pen)
ACT & SNSW will contest tomorrow's women's Shield final after a late blitz blew NSW Country away on Field 2.
In what truly was a tale of two halves, the Kestrels held a slim 5-0 lead at oranges courtesy of Erika Maslen before breaking their shackles with Bonnie Brewer, Makenna Ravouvou and Iris Verebalavu scoring in a 15-minute blitz.
The Corellas defended their line grimly throughout the first half but couldn't keep up with the Kestrels, whose late surge helped avenged their pool defeat from last year's Shield.
QLDC Heelers 26 (Wairau 2, Currie, Smyth tries; Davison 2, Bezombes cons) def SA Black Falcons Men 16 (Liebers try; Wilkes con; Wilkes 3 pens)
Hosts Queensland Country are the first team to punch their Shield final ticket after seeing off a spirited South Australia on Saturday morning.
Halfback Levi Wairau's two-try haul proved the difference in an otherwise scrappy contest through which the Black Falcons frustrated their fancied rivals.
SA's Ed Wilkes kept his side in the contest via the kicking tee but a late Heelers try made it a bridge too far, condemning the Black Falcons to a place in tomorrow's playoff for 5th.
ADFRU Women 20 (Faalalotonga 2, Forsyth, Tijou tries) def QSRU Kelpies 19 (Kovarik, Pienaar, Roiri tries; Wood, Roiri cons)
A brace of tries to Defence backrower Faalalotonga Faalalotonga helped secure a dramatic win over Queensland Suburban at the 2024 Australian Rugby Shield on Saturday morning.
The powerful number eight scored either side of half time to hold off a brave Kelpies outfit that tackled the lights out on Field 2.
Baylee Kovarik's early try rocked Defence before tries to skipper Yolanda Forsyth and centre Stella Tijou steered ADFRU back on track.
