In one of the province's lowest points since the embarrassing 68-7 loss to Wellington in July 2007, Otago rolled over and gifted an unspectacular Hawkes Bay team five points in Napier on Saturday.
The Magpies, last year's darlings who have hardly fired this season, could not believe their luck as they were expecting Air New Zealand Cup opposition but encountered a midweek social side instead.
It was that sort of performance, at least in the first half, from Otago.
At a point in the season where it needed to match its endeavour with energy, to show a bit of get up and go, it chose the path of surrender.
Hawkes Bay scored a try after 32 seconds, added another after six minutes and had cruised to an untouchable 25-3 lead at half-time.
The Magpies defended aggressively, snapped up loose balls and generally looked fired up and motivated.
Otago, in contrast, looked devoid of ideas in the first half, low on energy and completely uninspired.
That Otago squared the second spell 7-7 was of little consolation.
The damage had been done.
Otago has now posted back-to-back 20-point losses.
The good work it did in the opening six rounds, when it posted two sound wins and was competitive in other games, is in danger of being undone.
Bonus points are well and good, but Otago needs to win some games or it is in serious danger of finishing in the bottom four.
That would not be a good look in a year when the NZRU is cutting the competition from 14 teams to 10.
Three teams below Otago - Waikato, North Harbour and Northland - won during this round; consequently, Otago has dropped to 12th, just three points clear of the wooden spoon.
Otago now has to navigate a tricky patch of three games, against Bay of Plenty (home), Taranaki (away) and Waikato (home), knowing further losses could be fatal.
There were some mitigating factors in Saturday's crushing defeat.
Hawkes Bay, lifted by a good home crowd, produced a top-drawer performance, clearly its best of the season.
Otago was missing its two best players, loose forward Adam Thomson and new All Black lock Tom Donnelly, and was also trying to bed in a new-look backline featuring first-time starter Michael Witt, the third player to wear No 10 for Otago in as many weeks, and the recalled Andrew Parata.
Hawkes Bay made the kind of start teams dream about.
From an Otago turnover, centre Jason Shoemark toed through a kick and fullback Israel Dagg came flying in to score the 32-second try.
Barely five minutes later, things got worse for Otago.
The Magpies gave the ball some air and Shoemark showed his strength to bustle over the line.
Witt and Matt Berquist traded penalties before Hawkes Bay capitalised on some pitiful Otago defence as Dagg scythed through for his second try.
Hawkes Bay went a man down late in the half as former Otago lock Ross Kennedy was binned for persistent infringing, but Otago could not score during his absence.
Shoemark's second try put the result beyond doubt, and while Paul Grant came off the bench to score a try for Otago, he appeared to have lost the ball over the line.
A feature of the game was that all 32 of Hawkes Bay's points were scored by men who played for the Highlanders this year.
