Otago was all over the Mooloo men in all facets of the game. Its physicality was too much for the opposition, its energy levels were high and it never gave the highly-rated Waikato backs any chance to show their wares.
It was as if the home side had left its demons back on the Hawkes Bay foreshore and got back to the game it knows it can play.
The win puts Otago right back into the race for the semifinals of the ITM Cup championship, pushing into fourth place, with three games left to play.
Otago was in the last-chance saloon before the game started yesterday and responded in the right way. The home side's forward pack showed plenty of desperation and energy to get the ball and was a step ahead of the Waikato forward pack.
The Otago set piece was sound throughout the game, and it kept the lineout simple which helped bring a flow to its game.
The game was littered with some inaccurate kicking but Otago was at least strong in its chase and kept Waikato pinned in its territory for long periods of the game.
The Waikato side had chances early in the second half but Otago tackled like demons and kept the dangerous Waikato backs under lock and key.
Eventually, Otago swung down the field and Hayden Parker converted a couple of penalties.
Then, with a quarter of the match left, Parker spied a gap 10m out from the line, sped through and went over by the posts.
That put Otago well out of reach and left winger Fa'asiu Fuatai scored the fourth try with 10 minutes to go, when he was on the end of the chain.
Those to stand out for Otago were prop Aki Seiuli, who seems to have taken a step up this year, lock Jackson Hemopo, who got round the field, and No 8 TJ Ioane, who made plenty of metres with the ball in hand.
Midfielders Tei Walden and Michael Collins did all that was asked of them and Fuatai ran hard.
Otago made a great start, when lock Tom Franklin scored after just three minutes. Otago gained the ball inside the Waikato half, ran it up with some real energy, and Franklin was out wide as the Waikato defence ran out of numbers.
But the home team's joy was short-lived, as within a couple of minutes, Damian McKenzie slid past a couple of defenders and went over.
That was the last points of the game for the Mooloos, as Otago dominated possession and some misdirected kicking took over the half.
Hayden Parker knocked over a couple of penalties and on the 30 minute mark, the home side scored its second try.
Skipper for the day Lee Allan secured a turnover and the ball was quickly moved to the right. Otago made the most of the overlap and Collins put through a nice grubber kick along the touchline.
Though it all seemed in slow motion, Walden ran 30m to the ball, picked it up and scored.
Waikato tried to come back in the dying minutes of the first half but some solid Otago defence made sure the home side went to the break with a comfortable lead.
Otago v Waikato
The scores
Otago 38
Tom Franklin, Tei Walden, Hayden Parker, Fa'asiu Fuatai tries; Parker 3 con, 4 pen
Waikato 7
Damian McKenzie try, con
Halftime: Otago 20-7
Crowd: 3500
