The Maori All Blacks bounced back from last week's loss to Fiji by beating the same opposition 26-17 in Rotorua to level the two-game series.
Scores from Sean Wainui, Rob Thompson, Alex Nankivell and Isaia Walker-Leawere saw them to victory, with Otere Black slotting six points.
In reply the Fijians scored tries through Veremalua Vugakoto and John Dyer while Alivereti Veitokani sent over two conversions and a penalty.
The teams went into the break locked at seven points apiece after a tight first half, with the Maori All Blacks much improved from last week.
Fiji would take the lead, however, on nine minutes when a superb between-the-legs pass from back-row Dominiko Waqaniburotu put hooker Vugakoto over on the left. With the successful conversion from Veitokani, John McKee's men had themselves a handy early advantage.
That lead did not last long though as the hosts hit back five minutes later, Wainui adding to his two tries in Suva with another crossing. It came from a good pass from inside centre Nankivell as pressure on the Fijian finally told, with his Chiefs team-mate going over to make it 7-7.
Veitokani would miss a penalty attempt on 31 minutes but an entertaining first half of action was edged by the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua.
They got the vital opening score of the second half when Thompson crossed thanks to an excellent pass from scrum-half Bryn Hall for 14-7.
Veitokani did respond off the tee on 52 minutes to cut the gap to four points, which was how it stayed until the hour mark, before Nankivell collected a cross-field kick from Black that had come loose. Black could not slot the difficult extras but the hosts were two scores clear.
That advantage grew when Walker-Leawere, who had replaced the injured Pari Pari Parkinson earlier in the second period, made it 26-10 after he went over for a converted try on 64 minutes that seemed to put the match beyond doubt in front of the watching 13,000 fans.
Fiji did rally late on with a try from substitute Dyer after an impressive scrum near to the whitewash, which made it 26-17 with just four minutes left in the game. But the Maori All Blacks had enough of a cushion to see out the game and make it a tied series with the Fijians.
The scorers:
For Maori All Blacks:
Tries: Wainui, Thompson, Nankivell, Walker-Leawere
Cons: Black 3
For Fiji:
Tries: Vugakoto, Dyer
Cons: Veitokani 2
Pen: Veitokani
Maori All Blacks: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Jordan Hyland, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Sean Wainui, 10 Otere Black, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 7 Mitch Karpik, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Pari Pari Parkinson, 4 Tom Franklin, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Ash Dixon (c), 1 Ross Wright
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Haereiti Hetet, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Fletcher Smith, 23 Teihorangi Walden
Fiji: 15 Kini Murimurivalu, 14 Patrick Osbourne, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu, 12 Jale Vatubua, 11 Filipo Nakosi, 10 Alivereti Veitokani, 9 Henry Seniloli, 8 Nemani Nagusa, 7 Mosese Voka, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu, 5 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, 4 Tevita Ratuva, 3 Lee-Roy Atalifo 2 Veremalua Vugakoto, 1 Campese Ma’afu
Replacements: 16 Samuel Matavesi, 17 Joeli Veitayaki, 18 Luke Tagi, 19 Albert Tuisue, 20 John Dyer, 21 Serupepeli Vularika, 22 Sevanaia Galala, 23 Josh Matavesi
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Damon Murphy (Australia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: James Leckie (Australia)
The result is an historical one for the Pacific Islanders as it is their first triumph over the Maori All Blacks since 1957.
The visitors were full value for their win and outscored their hosts seven tries to none with Ihaia West contributing 14 points courtesy of four conversions and two penalties.
Leigh Halfpenny finished with 20 points as the Lions scored second half tries through a penalty try and second-row Maro Itoje, having completely dominated after half-time as the Maoris failed to add any points.
Chiefs wing James Lowe was a double try scorer for the touring side with back-to-back efforts for Colin Cooper's side, who raced out into a 26-3 lead.
Munster opened the scoring through Rory Scannell inside the first 15 minutes but Ian Keatley failed to add the extras.
James Lowe (2), Akira Ioane (2), Ash Dixon, Kane Hames, Brad Weber and Joe Royal scored the tries while Ihaia West and Marty McKenzie kicked goals.
Despite the wet and windy conditions, the Maori All Blacks opted to run the ball but they committed too many unforced errors which the Baa-baas capitalised on.
The man-of-the-match in the Super Rugby Final came on to score with less than ten minutes to play before fly-half Otere Black sent over the extra two points.
The Maori All Blacks went in to this match full of confidence after they thrashed the Brave Blossoms 61-21 in Kobe last weekend but, as the scoreline suggests, things did not go as smoothly in this encounter.
A run of 10 successive Test victories had propelled the Brave Blossom into the world's top 10 for the first time but they offered little resistance to the visitors, who entertained a crowd of 21,000 with a new haka before the game.
Two second-half tries from skipper Tim Bateman sparked the tourists into life after a lacklustre first half left them trailing 7-9 at the interval in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,500 people at PPL Park.
In front of a 22 000-strong sellout crowd, the biggest in the history of Canadian rugby, the Maori outscored their hosts six tries to two with scrum-half Jamison Gipson-Park bagging a brace.
In a lacklustre but testy match, the Maori scored two tries to one plus 22 points from Willie Ripia.