You could just state the facts and marvel at the simplicity of it all.
The Whalers rattled on three tries, knocked over two conversions and did not make a single tackle in the first nine minutes of the game.
The Southland Rams never recovered and went on to lose 56-18 in a top-of-the-table South Island Championship game at the North Ground on Saturday.
Here is how that opening period played out.
The Rams kicked off. The Whalers worked the ball into Southland’s territory and kicked an up-and-under off their last tackle.
The ball was coming out of the sun, but the Rams got nowhere near it.
Sione Fa’aoso scooped it up and shovelled it to Mika Mafi, who offloaded to winger Tofatu Solia to score.
The visitors trudged back to halfway, kicked off again and the Whalers muscled their way back upfield — a couple of penalties helped — before big Champ Betham smashed his way over.
Fullback Tama Apineru broke free off the next set of six and just like that the Rams trailed 16-0.
The Whalers took a turn to defend for the next 10 to 15 minutes. They made a series of mistakes but rallied with some much-improved defence.
Southland did eventually get some reward when Marama Reti barged over. The visitors trailed 22-6 at the break, but spent most of the next 30 minutes in a huddle under their posts.
The Whalers ran in six more tries to go with the four they scored in the first 40 minutes.
The Rams nabbed two late tries to trim the margin.
Whalers coach Dave Reedy was mostly happy. How he could be only mostly happy was a mystery — his side was utterly dominant.
But he pointed to a series of mistakes midway through the first half and a tired final 10 minutes as evidence his side still has more to give.
"Those sort of starts generally happen against us," he said.
"But that last 10 minutes did not speak too highly [of us].
"But you can’t be too upset. The game was in the bag, but it is just those little lapses that we have to tidy up before the final if we want to progress."
That final will be in Dunedin thanks to the Whalers’ comfortable win. They will be hosting Southland, which had already qualified and took the opportunity to rest half a dozen players.
That decision cost the Rams a home final, but Reedy believes they will not be too concerned about that.
"They rested six of their top players today, and they are quality players who they have to bring back in. How much difference that will make, I’m not entirely sure.
"But they don’t mind travelling whereas we do."
The winner of the South Island Championship will play the North Island champion and the prize is a berth in the Premiership next season.
In the other game on Saturday, the West Coast Chargers beat the Aoraki Eels 42-16.
West Coast five-eighth Jordan Campbell was named the winner of the inaugural Quentin Pongia Medal, honouring the late Kiwis prop who was originally from the West Coast.
Campbell claimed eight of the nine MVP points on offer.
SI Championship
The scores
Otago Whalers 56
Jordan McEntee 2, Tofatu Solia, Champ Betham, Tama Apineru, Layne Opetaia, Mackenzie Haugh, Hagan Free, Sione Fa’aoso, Jayden Hollander tries; Haugh 8 con
Southland Rams 18
Marama Reti, Alipate Qoro, Sione Kaufononga tries; Anisoni Kaufononga con, Sione Kaufononga 2 con
Halftime: Whalers 22-6.
