The scoreboard says it all: There wasn't enough room for the triple digit as the groundsman takes Ratana's name off the board.
Adapt or die.
The long known issue of lax attitudes towards making training sessions is understood to have led to the midweek departure of their fed up coach Steelie Koro and finally caught up with Harvey Round Motors Ratana today – to the tune of the biggest shellacking seen in WRFU club rugby in many years.
Waverley Harvesting Border ran through nearly non-existent tackling or just let the ball do the work with long passes and attacking kicks that left Ratana's cover defence all at sea – scoring 18 tries in the 114-5 evisceration.
Forget a point-a-minute, midway through the first half Border were scoring a try-a-minute, no longer than the time required to catch the kickoff and run wide again, raising the prospect of the dreaded triple figures being raised in only an hour of play.
This new Division 1 concept of a Top 6 teams carrying on from the eight that started Tasman Tanning Premier has simply left Ratana behind, and while they were always going to struggle without the franchise players and incumbent Steelform Wanganui representatives found in other sides, continued casual approaches to training and conditioning just leaves a very proud club in a poor state.
In the race to the playoffs, no-one else can afford to be merciful with the search for priceless bonus points and healthy differentials – Ratana had defaulted to Border during the first round, but the South Taranaki club made up for it by scoring enough for two large victories.
Other than a glorified training run, one wonders what other value Border got from the match, given they have two tough road games to finish the round robin, although there were some unexpected bonuses.
Playing without Craig Clare or Nick Harding, who both return against Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist, Border discovered in an emergency scenario they will have a reliable third goal-kicking option, as former Taranaki Maori representative Te Kepa Grindlay contributed 27 points including 11 conversions from 15 attempts, a couple of them from the sideline, before letting Border's eager reserves take over kicking on the last three tries in the final four minutes.
Maestro of the match until he was finally convinced to come off inside the last 15 minutes, when Border had subbed their other top players, halfback Lindsay Horrocks was in an absolutely ruthless mood.
The skipper scored a hat trick of tries and showcased all the skills from the wide-ranging cut-out passes to the pin-point chip kicks, although Ratana's fumbles and occasionally falling over without touching the ball was just depressing.
Out wide, centre Veneniki Tikoisolomone is looking like a real find with his acceleration and steps off both feet, while fullback Tom Symes and winger Jimmy Jong relished the wide-open space.
Coach Ross Williams would have been content if referee Noah Viliamu had waved it off at 50-0 by halftime, given he didn't want his rebuilding team, specifically dynamic loose forwards Angus Middleton and Chris Breur, to risk aggravating their niggles amongst all that hard running.
Ultimately, with every game from here on a tough challenge, Williams was pleased the team-first mentality remained throughout the match – even when Ratana got only their second chance at the tryline late in the second half, Border still held the ruck strong with defenders communicating with each other to keep the gaps closed.
"I told them, in a blowout game, I was so impressed they stayed in as much structure as they did," said Williams.
"The culture is certainly there. But I do feel for Ratana."
As former coach and now manager, Ratana's Johno Kaa has been there for some mighty days for Ratana, but Saturday had to be a new low.
All Kaa could offer is that Ratana will finish out their season with two home games remaining.
"With the loss of Steels [Steelie Koro], we needed to find our way.
"Thought we might come here and be a thorn in the side of teams.
"But a score like that, it hurts me more than the players."
Horrocks opened Border's account with a snipe of a tryline ruck after Symes had just been stopped short by Ratana prop Kereti Tamou, in what would be his team's third-best tackle of the match, behind a couple of full body hits from fullback Western Hemi.
Border's always busy hooker Kieran Hussey combined with Symes for another break that saw short offloads by the forwards for Middleton to dive over, then Hussey scored himself after good recovery of a loose ball by winger Joe Hazelhurst in the 13th minute for 19-0.
The home side needed only another 120 seconds to reach 33-0, as Grindlay ran straight through and put Tikoisolomone under the posts, then a long Horrocks pass flew over everyone for Symes to catch and jog in untouched.
Another Horrocks floater to Tikoisolomone saw him reserve flick pass to Hazelhurst, who just stepped through a poor tackle to score in the corner for 40-0 in 20 minutes.
Ratana trying to run from their half led to a penalty at the breakdown and a quick tap by Border was chucked straight to Grindlay to place over the tryline.
It took Border another 13 minutes before their next try, but Ratana gift-wrapped it for them with a fumble at the back of a 40m scrum which Horrocks just snatched up to dash off down an empty blindside and raise the half century.
Swapping ends, Border were at it again in less than four minutes as a Jong chip kick from a scrum win was kept on the toe by Tikoisolomone before regaining for another 65m try, then Ratana making a dog's breakfast of a cross kick presented Hazelhurst with easiest try imaginable.
At 64-0 and with team mates lying hurt everywhere, Ratana halfback Paora Heremia redeemed somewhat his earlier mistakes by stepping and then driving hard to score his team's sole points.
It proved only temporary reprieve as Horrocks went off the ruck from another attacking kick and bulldozed through two tacklers for his hat trick, then the red-hot halfback just stole a lineout throw and regathered his own kick over the head of an overwhelmed defender to send lock Jack Hodges off for the try.
Grindlay was at it again from second-five by just running through the middle, before finding veteran Jon Symth in support to set up Jong dashing away, which was followed by Middleton coming back on to replace Horrocks and immediately linking with Hodges to put first-five Anaru Haerewa across the line.
The century was inevitable now at 90-5 with 14 minutes left, although Ratana did have a priceless chance at another try, only to find Border were glad for the tackling practice, and then the home reserves were all keen to get their names on the sheet.
A Hodges bust was stopped dead by Hemi, but no other defenders were nearby and Jimmy McDonald had an easy recycle to score, then straight from the kickoff a very quick Jason Myers just took off down the sideline to run back to the posts, while drop kicking the extras.
Another hard run down the other side by Jong saw Neihana Parkes accept the offload and run off for the try, then Border were just lining up on the right for McDonald to get the last pass and scamper in for his double on fulltime.
Border 114 (L Horrocks 3, V Tikoisolomone 2, J Hazelhurst 2, J McDonald 2, A Middleton, K Hussey, T Symes, T Grindlay, J Hodges, J Jong, A Haerewa, J Myers, N Parkes tries; Grindlay 11 con, Myers con) bt Ratana 5 (P Heremia try). HT: 50-0.
'I believe we can create something quite exciting, creative and innovative.'