He's not wanted by the All Blacks but Piri Weepu took just six minutes to underline his value to Wellington as last year's beaten finalist inflicted a record defeat on Otago.
The reconditioned reject looked sharp enough as he carved through Otago's flimsy blindside defence and sent Wellingtonskipper Tamati Ellison heading for the right hand corner. Ellison was pulled down just short, allowing Weepu to back up and ground the ball beside the corner flag.
It was the first try of nine as Otago slumped to their heaviest margin of defeat, the 61-point drubbing eclipsing the 43-point beating dished out by Canterbury in 2001.
Wellington, who fielded a side including France-bound All Blacks Conrad Smith, Chris Masoe and Neemia Tialata, also posted the highest score against the southerners, eclipsing the 63 points scored by Auckland in 1993.
Otago, who weren't afforded the luxury of playing Anton Oliver or Carl Hayman, already look like joining the ranks of the tournament's also-rans.
Jimmy Gopperth set up the Lions' second with a clever cross kick that found Shannon Paku in space on the touchline.
Smith was on hand to deliver the final pass to Ellison but he turned villain just moments later with an ill-advised chip kick on his own 22 that presented Otago winger Alipate Fatafehi with a simple jog in.
Smith looked every inch the player who has managed just a handful of minutes in recent months. His patchy form would have left the All Blacks selectors hoping one of their limited centre options can rediscover his touch in time to be a factor at the World Cup. On this evidence, that looks questionable.
Three Gopperth penalties in the first half stretched the Wellington lead but it was a long-range solo effort from Paku, who beat five men with ease to score from 70m, that really twisted the knife.
Masoe toed ahead to score Wellington's bonus point try after a neat short lineout move 10 minutes into the second half and Paku burrowed through a ruck for his second.
Weepu then set the seal on a fine performance with a 25-metre burst straight through the heart of the Otago defence to score beneath the posts.
Hooker Dane Coles then crossed twice in the space of a couple of minutes to round out a memorable debut.
Wellington 68 (P. Weepu 2, T. Ellison 2, S. Paku 2, C. Masoe, D. Coles 2 tries; J. Gopperth 5 con, 3 pen; Ellison 2 con)
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