Live Commentary: San Francisco 49ers 17-23 Seattle Seahawks - as it happened

Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the NFC championship clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers.

The winner of this game will now face the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl after they beat the New England Patriots in their AFC championship bout.

Now we can focus on our game and what a matchup we have in store here. As the Seahawks host the 49ers in the NFC championship at CenturyLink Field.

Both of these sides have ferocious defenses which is the foundation of their recent success. The Seahawks are ranked number one in the NFL, while the 49ers are second. This game will be on decided on the offensive side of the ball, to see who can produce the most plays and points on the scoreboard.

The Seahawks have struggled mightily in the past few weeks on offense and will be without wide receiver Percy Harvin. Running back Marshawn Lynch has had an excellent game in the first meeting between the sides in September but, the 49ers have been playing excellent rush defense recently and that could play a factor and force the ball into the arm of Wilson who has struggled to throw the ball of late.

Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Golden Tate have to make plays for the Seahawks this evening, against the 49ers' weak link, their secondary. If they can't make those plays it will put a lot pressure on the defense which told in their second meeting when the 49ers recorded their win over Pete Carroll's side.

The 49ers have really clicked in the latter half of the season on offense. Michael Crabtree's return has been so valuable to Colin Kaepernick and has allowed him to flourish as a passer. It has also eased the pressure on Frank Gore and has opened some rush lanes for him, if that happens today the 49ers will have an excellent chance of reaching the Super Bowl.

San Francisco's defense has looked impressive in recent weeks led by linebackers Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman, they along with defensive tackle Ray McDonald have been key in shutting the run down against their opponents in the playoffs, as Eddie Lacy, DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert were halted in the ground game. Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks will look to continue to rush the pass as they did last week to Cam Newton, if they get to Wilson and put the Seahawks in long yardage it could be a long evening for Seattle.

SEAHAWKS INACTIVES: Harvin, Michael, Bowie, Hauptmann, Schofield, Mayowa, Hill.

49ERS INACTIVES: Wright, Carrier, Moody, Seymour, Dial, Looney, Baldwin.

PREDICTION TIME: It will be a close game, but for some reason due to their offensive performances over the last few weeks, I'm back the 49ers to reach their second-straight Super Bowl. Seattle Seahawks 17 San Francisco 49ers 20.

Wilson will start at the 20, as Dawson's kick sails out of the endzone.

Wilson rolls to his left on first down but Aldon Smith reads the play all the way and drags him down and strips the ball out of hands and manages to jump on the ball at the Seattle 15. What a start for the 49ers.

The Seahawks defense makes a stand as they stop Kaepernick on a quarterback draw on third and six as Wagner brings him down for just four yards, after Gore and Crabtree could only get four yards on a run to right and short crossing pass on first and second. That will leave a 25-yard field goal.

Dawson makes no mistake and the 49ers take the lead and put three points on the board. You could say Wilson got away with that error.

Baldwin returns the ball to the 17-yard line of the Seahawks where Wilson will begin again.

The 49ers make the stop to get their offense back on the field, as Bowman shoots the gap on third and one and stops Lynch in his tracks for no gain, a great play by the outstanding linebacker, after they had stopped him for only a yard on second. Miller got the Seahawks moving with an eight-yard reception on an out route on first. Ryan's punt is collected at the SF 29 but a penalty will push them back to their 19.

The 49ers go play-action to move the chains as they fake the left side run to Gore and Kaepernick turns and fires to his tight end McDonald for a 14-yard gain with a good catch and run down the right sideline, after Gore churned out one yard on first down.

Kaepernick shows his rushing ability with a good run over the right side of the line on a designed play as he gets behind two blockers to run for 17 yards to get his side to the 50 before he gets brought down by a combination of Sherman and Wagner.

San Francisco can't move any further downfield as Kaepernick goes for the run again, this time over the left side of the line but he gets stopped one yard short of the first down by Wagner and Chancellor, after he ran for another eight yards up the middle of the line. They fake going for it on fourth down and accept a penalty which moves them back five yards, this allows Lee to punt the ball downfield and Osgood is able to down the ball at the one-yard line of the Seahawks.

The Seahawks get to move off their goalline as the 49ers jump offside, this time no Omaha call, echoes of Peyton Manning, but they still lose their discipline and hand Seattle five yards.

Seattle move the chains as Lynch manages to get three yards with a carry up the gut on first down and then comes back with a two-yarder on second with basically the same play, that moves his side to their 11-yard line.

Baldwin and Wilson combine for a first down and the quarterback gets away with a poor throw as he just gets enough to get the ball over the hands of Eric Reid, as the safety looked as though he may have had the interception but it fell through his hands and landed in the receiver's grasp for a 22-yard gain on third down.

A poor call from the officials hands the Seahawks another first down as Wilson fires downfield, but he takes a hit from Whitner which is deemed a personal foul and gives the Seattle 15 yards, which moves them to the San Fran 49. It was shoulder to shoulder contact from Whitner on the tight end.

SACK!! Wilson goes down on third and nine for an 11-yard loss as Bowman bursts through the line and takes him down as he tried to escape the pressure in the pocket. A holding call had put the Seahawks in second and long and Lynch got eight yards of it back, but it also erased a first down carry by the back. Costly plays in the playoffs.

FUMBLE! Ryan's punt is dropped by James and he takes a hit by Lockette but Morris manages to land on the ball to keep possession for the 49ers at their 14-yard line. James took an absolute whack from the the special teamer, and is down on the ground and looks to be in pain, that was some hit.

The 49ers move the chains as Sherman is too aggressive on the outside against Crabtree and he is flagged for defensive holding, which hands the 49ers five yards and another set of downs, after Kaepernick's pass to the receiver had fallen incomplete. Boldin also had a drop on a curl route, which would have secured his side 15 yards.

Kaepernick evades the rush on second down and takes off down the middle for a gain of 12 yards and a first down to move his side to their 32-yard-line, as he saw a lot of space in front of him after a passing play broke down.

Kaepernick takes off again and finds a huge hole as he evades several tackles and gets into Seattle territory, and continues to run down to the 10-yard line of the Seahawks before he gets brought down by Chancellor from behind as he looked to find the endzone, that tackle ends a 58-yard run. Outstanding from the quarterback.

Gore gets the handoff on third and goal and he jumps over the lines to get into the endzone for the one-yard score to hand his side a 10-point lead after he ran for eight yards on second and a yard on first to get his side near the goalline. The play is under review, so we'll have to wait and see if this stands.

CALL REVERSED NO TOUCHDOWN! Gore didn't get into the endzone after all, as he was touched and brought down a centimetre before the line by Bryant and that will leave the 49ers with a fourth and goal. They are going to go for it.

The 49ers get into the endzone this time as Dixon gets the handoff and his leap is better than Gore's as he gets over the goalline in for the score to hand his side a 10-point lead. There's a downside to this touchdown though, as outstanding guard Mike Iupati goes down and it looks to be a serious injury, as he has to be helped off the field.

Baldwin returns the ball to the Seattle 24, where Wilson will begin.

Wilson goes to Baldwin for seven yards on first and then on third and three he finds Tate down the right sideline on a comeback route for another six yards to move the chain and the Seahawks to their 35-yard line.

Huge play by Wilson as he dances in the pocket for what seems an age, he evades several rushes and finds space to throw the ball and he connects with a huge throw to Baldwin down the seam who evades the coverage of Whitner and Reid and makes the catch at the San Fran 11 for a 51-yard gain. A great play all round.

SACK! Skuta gets to Wilson in the pocket on first down and brings him down for a five-yard loss, Lynch can only get two yards back on second down and his pass on third falls incomplete. Worse news for Seattle is that Baldwin was taken back to the locker room after the big play. Hauschka is left with a 32-yard field goal attempt.

Hauschka makes no mistake firing his kick through the posts and the Seahawks drag themselves within seven points.

Hauschka kicks the ball out of the endzone so Kaepernick will start at the 20.

The 49ers go three and out as Kaepernick's pass to Boldin on first down falls incomplete, on second he loses two yards on a quarterback run and his short pass to Patton on third and 12 goes for only two yards. Lee's punt is caught by Tate replacing Baldwin and he is decked immediately at the Seattle 37.

The Seahawks move the chains with a two carries from Lynch as he powered through the line on first down up the middle for seven yards and then came back with another run over the middle on second down to earn three yards and another set of downs at their 47-yard line.

Lynch churns out six tough yards up the middle of the line again after taking the handoff and he finds a little hole in the line to get his side to a third and three situation on the San Fran 46, after he was brought down by Bowman. Close game at the moment.

The Seahawks bounce back from taking a false start penalty to move them back five yards and Wilson responds with a throw on a quick slant to Baldwin for a gain of eight yards to move the chains at the San Fran 43-yard line. A crucial drive for Seattle.

Seattle's drive ends as Wilson gets chased out of the pocket on third and eight and finds Miller for a two-yard gain after looking like he was going to get dropped for a huge loss by Aldon Smith. Pete Carroll is keeping his offense out there to go for it on fourth and six at the SF 36.

A costly penalty at the end of the play, by Rogers takes 15 yard away from the 49ers as they take over on downs and that robs them of a chance of getting a score themselves.

Kaepernick takes a knee to end the half.

The 49ers hold the lead at the break thanks to two big plays, one from linebacker Aldon Smith to strip Russell Wilson of the ball in the first minute of the game that handed his side three points and the other from Colin Kaepernick when he took off for a 58-yard run, which resulted in Anthony Dixon going in for a touchdown. Jim Harbaugh will be pleased with that he has seen so far from his side but will be looking to do a better job of Seahawks passing game at bay.

Pete Carroll's side have struggled to contain Kaepernick in the first half, as they have manned up with the receivers meaning that only one player can account for the quarterback, and the 24-year-old has taken full advantage with over 100 yards on the ground. They have done a good job of stopping their passing game and Frank Gore on the ground but the way Kaepernick is running the ball will be a concern to them.

James returns the ball to the 20 where Kaepernick will begin.

Kaepernick rolls to his left on third and five, he throws across his body and manages to find Crabtree over the middle as he sits down in the zone for a 12-yard gain to move his side to their 38-yard line after Boldin made a grab on a hitch route for a six-yard gain on second. Maxwell is down for the Seahawks and is getting attention after bringing down Crabtree.

The 49ers can't keep their drive alive as Kaepernick tries to roll out on third and 16 but his pass to Gore down the right sideline bounced before the back could get to it. It was nearly disastrous for the visitors on second down as the back almost fumbled on second down but he managed to hold on. Lee punts on fourth and Tate returns the ball to the Seattle 39.

Lynch gets the handoff on first and he powers through the line and takes a couple of tacklers with him as he gets to midfield with an 11-yard rush. A good run by the back as he was held in check for the majority of the first half.

The Seahawks get into the endzone and tie the game as Lynch reels off a 40-yard run on a third and one situation as he powers through a hole and then changes direction as he sees space to the right and he strides in for the touchdown before the 49ers can bring him down. An excellent run by the back, capping off a great possession for him and game on now!

James returns the ball to the San Fran 16, where Kaepernick will start.

Gore finally cuts loose for the 49ers as he gets nine yards on a first down carry as he finds space over the right side of the line and then Hunter finishes the job of getting a first down with a one-yard carry through the middle.

Kaepernick fires downfield and over the middle to Crabtree who makes an excellent grab in tight coverage and gets his side to midfield with a 22-yard reception on a crossing route.

Kaepernick takes off on a run over the left side of the line and gets behind a block of Crabtree and gets another 22 yards to move his side to the Seattle 28. The Seahawks need to do a better job of containing Kaepernick as he keeps on getting free.

SACK & FUMBLE! Kaepernick is hit in the pocket by Bennett and the ball comes loose, however, it falls at the feet of the center Goodwin who turns the play into a two-yard carry for the 49ers. That was extremely lucky as that could have bounces anywhere.

What a response by the 49ers as they take the lead on a great drive by Kaepernick as he escapes the rush again over the right side of the line and throws the ball to the endzone, where Thomas is favourite to win the ball as he goes up to get it, but it bounces off his fingertips and Boldin makes the catch for the 26-yard touchdown. What a game we have on our hand here.

Baldwin rips off a huge run on the return and he takes the ball all the way back to the San Fran 30 before he gets pushed out of bounds for a 69-yard return. What a play, what a game.

Wilson fires the ball short to Tate over the left side on a screen pass and he finds enough room for a 13-yard gain to take his side down to the San Fran 20.

The 49ers make the stop as they take advantage of a false start penalty by the Seahawks on third and seven and they get backed up to third and 12, Harbaugh's side bring the blitz and force Wilson to throw the ball away, which will force Hauschka into a 40-yard field goal attempt.

Hauschka kicks the ball through the posts and we have a four-point game in the NFC championship.

The 49ers will start at the 20 as Hauschka kicks the ball out of the endzone.

The 49ers go three and out again as Kaepernick is pressure on third down and he is forced to throw the ball away after escaping the pocket as there's no rush lane for him this time, after his pass to Davis fell incomplete on second and Gore got nothing on the ground on first. The back has 14 yards on 11 carries this evening. Lee is hit as he punts but that is only a five yard penalty so the 49ers decline and Tate collects and takes the ball to the Seattle 38.

The Seahawks get moving downfield as Lynch takes the first carry through the line for five yards and he comes back on second on a sweep play and he makes a nice cut to find another five yards through the middle. He's starting to make plays now.

Wilson goes to the air to find Baldwin on an out route and he powers through the tackle of Brock to get 13 yards and the first down at the 49ers' 38-yard line, a play after his deep throw to Kearse fell incomplete after Reid and Whitner did well to break up the pass.

Wilson tries to throw on the run again and this time it catches up with him as he tries to do too much to keep the play alive and he has to throw the ball away and is penalised for intentional ground, which will knock his side back from third and six, to third and 22, when the fourth quarter starts.

Wilson goes short on third and 22 as he finds his tight end Miller on a swing route down the left sideline and he gets 15 yards on the play to bring his team within field goal range. It will be interesting to see what they do here.

Seattle opt to go for it on fourth down rather than kick a 53-yard field goal.

OH BOY! The 49ers jump offside on the fourth down play and basically hand the Seahawks a free play, which they take full advantage of as Wilson throws the ball deep to the endzone and Kearse makes a grab over the cornerback Rogers for the 35-yard touchdown. Seattle take the lead in the game for the first time.

James returns the ball to the 29 of the 49ers before he gets brought down, but a penalty brings them back to their 11-yard line for a hold.

Kaepernick comes up big for his side as he makes the strike to Boldin on third and five to earn his side another set of downs, after Davis made a reception over the middle of the field for a five-yard gain. The 49ers needed that desperately.

Kaepernick goes from hero to zero for his side as he costs them five yards on third and one with a delay of game penalty and that makes them pass the ball on third and six. Avril gets to the quarterback as he tries to throw the ball and sacks him and strips the ball loose and Bennett gathers and takes Seattle to the San Fran 6.

On third and goal the 49ers make a crucial stop and they should have a turnover as Wilson finds Kearse but he's short of the endzone but Bowman comes in and rips the ball out of his grasp and steals the ball, but the officials rule that Seattle maintain possession. It's a huge blow for the 49ers, and even worse for them is that Bowman, arguably their best player, goes down with a horrific knee injury, as his leg got caught under Kearse and twisted. That looks even worse with every replay, you have to hope it isn't as bad as it looks.

Seattle are going to go for it on fourth and goal at the one-yard line.

Lynch makes a crucial mistake on the goalline as he fumbles the ball, costing his side points and they gather the ball to prevent any further damage but the 49ers will have it at their 15-yard line, as Robinson gathered for Seahawks. A crucial moment in the game.

Hunter gets the carry for the 49ers on first down and he finds space over the right side of the line, as he takes the ball to the San Fran 26, with an 11-yard carry. A good start for them.

Kaepernick makes another blunder as he tries to find Boldin down the left sideline and Chancellor makes the leap to make the interception and the Seahawks will get the ball at the San Fran 38. That is a criminal decision from the quarterback and one that could cost his side.

The Seahawks get the first down as Tate makes the reception on skinny post route down the right sideline, he cuts back to get more yardage and nearly loses the first-down yardage but he spins back out of tackle to get it back for an nine-yard reception at the SF 28.

Seattle have had several chances to kill the game off, but they haven't done it yet as they commit a costly penalty which knocks them back into second and 18, and a run from Lynch and a short pass to Tate leaves a 47-yard field goal attempt for Hauschka.

Hauschka nails his kick between the posts from 47 yards and hands the Seahawks a six-point lead with just three minutes left in the game. A touchdown could win the game.

James returns the ball to the 22 where Kaepernick will start.

The 49ers gets eight yards on second down as Kaepernick finds Boldin on a crossing route over the middle of the field and sets up third and two. On third his pass to Crabtree falls incomplete. Decision time for the 49ers, they have three timeouts but they might not get back out on the field, but if they go for it here and fail, it's game over.

THE 49ERS CONVERT! Kaepernick deliver as he rolls out to his left and he finds Gore down the left sideline for a gain of 13 yards, and more importantly it keeps the game alive. What a play by Kaepernick.

The 49ers keep moving as Kaepernick throws deep down the right sideline on third down and two in Seattle territory and he finds Crabtree on a fade route for 16 yards down to the 29-yard line.

Another great pass by Kaepernick over the middle of the field as he finds Davis for a 12-yard gain to move his side to the Seattle 18.

All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman makes the play of the game as Kaepernick goes deep to the endzone and tries to find Crabtree, it's a good throw and the receiver will catch the ball for the touchdown but the cornerback sticks out a hand and tips it into the air, with no momentum. The ball loops up and is picked off by Malcolm Smith.

What a play that was by Sherman and that will be the play that sends his side to the Super Bowl.

Wilson kneels out and that will end the game.

After 19 rounds of games we now know who will be playing in Super Bowl 48 in New York as the Seattle Seahawks will take on the Denver Broncos for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

What a game we had here, as it went right to the death and we had turnovers a plenty but the Seahawks just did enough to secure a comeback win to go to their second Super Bowl.

The 49ers left a lot of plays on the field and will be disappointed to see their half-time lead slip. Kaepernick made too many errors in the end to succeed and that will hurt him and his teammates as they watch the Super Bowl rather than play in it in two weeks time.

The Seahawks will travel to New York to face the Broncos in two weeks time, in a battle between the best defense in the NFL and the best offense in the league. It shall be very interesting to watch, and I can't wait for it already.

Thanks for joining our commentary this evening/morning. We'll be back for the Super Bowl in two weeks time. Until then goodbye.