Ouch.
There is understandably a reluctance to use words like ‘‘humiliation’’, ‘‘rout’’ and ‘‘demolition’’ when referring to a level of rugby in which the participants are there for love and not money.
Their 47-7 loss to Mid Canterbury in Ashburton was a swift, cold and frightening reality check that ended the Old Golds’ five-game winning streak and led to them plummeting from third to sixth in the Heartland Championship.
It was also their worst loss - not counting Ranfurly Shield challenges against professional unions - since a 53-12 defeat to a team that no longer exists (Marlborough) in a competition that no longer exists (NPC third division) in a year that might as well be from another dimension (1996).
Yes, it was that bad, though with the mitigating factors of missing a couple of key backs and the score blowing out as they chased the game.
The Old Golds will at least get to host a Lochore Cup semifinal against Poverty Bay this weekend.
Remarkably, five teams ended with 5-3 records, but North Otago had the fewest bonus points of them.
North Otago were poor from pretty much the opening whistle at the Ashburton Showgrounds.
Mid Canterbury are having a whale of a season - they completed an eighth straight bonus-point win and are odds-on to lift their third Meads Cup - but they were made to look like absolute world-beaters at times.
The Old Golds spilled unnecessarily risky passes, kicked poorly, let themselves down with poor discipline, and fell to bits just as they started to show a bit more fight.
Prop Abraham Lauaki set the tone when he copped an early yellow card for a no-arms tackle, and Mid Canterbury capitalised with two converted tries.
First five Tom Reekie crossed in his 50th game, and second five Fotu Hala made the break that led to classy halfback Kieran McClea scoring the first of his two tries.
North Otago then had a decent little period, and after a glorious Ben Paton kick and a scrum, Toni Taufa scored their only try.
The rest of the game was highly forgettable.
Mid Canterbury dominated through their lineout drive, their breakdown work and their vastly superior backline - inspired by McClea and fullback Hugh Cameron - and the Old Golds were made to look ponderous at times.
McClea, a product of Waitaki Boys’ High School who should have been given more opportunities when he was in Otago, scored again before halftime after a nice break by lock McGregor Best.
A handy but not insurmountable Mid Canterbury lead of 21-7 blew out quickly in the second half with tries to flanker Declan McCormack and winger Sam Pearce.
The Old Golds dropped back to 14 again when reserve lock Asaele Ngahe was sin-binned - for what, it was utterly impossible to say - and the Hammers scored two more tries as North Otago lost their heads with some wayward passing.
Paton did some good work and made one spectacular try-saving tackle, centre Ben McCarthy tried to spark things up, and Taufa continued his excellent form.
But this was as bad it gets for North Otago, who will have to bounce back quickly to chase the consolation prize of the Lochore Cup.
South Canterbury claimed the other Meads Cup home semifinal spot with a 31-21 win over Horowhenua-Kapiti, and Thames Valley (38-5 v Whanganui) and Wairarapa-Bush (29-24 v Poverty Bay) also made the top tier.
In games among the also-rans, King Country beat East Coast 73-14, and West Coast beat Buller 34-11.
Heartland Championship
The scores
Mid Canterbury 47
Kieran McClea 2, Sam Pearce 2, Tom Reekie, Declan McCormack, Ashton McArthur tries; Reekie 6 con.
North Otago 7
Toni Taufa try; Ben McCarthy con
Halftime: Mid Canterbury 21-7.
Semifinals
Meads Cup: Mid Canterbury v Wairarapa-Bush, South Canterbury v Thames Valley.
Lochore Cup: Whanganui v Horowhenua-Kapiti, North Otago v Poverty Bay.
