Chiefs 40- Wales 7
The perfect snapshot of what would become a mismatch arrive d at fulltime, when Warren Gatland's Wales formed a guard of honour and applauded an understrength Chiefs team from the pitch.
In one devastating 80-minute spell, the Chiefs dealt a huge blow to Wales' hopes of taking anything from their tour and sent a warning to a Lions side set to face all five Super Rugby franchises in 2017.
It was difficult to judge who were the international outfit on a cold but invigorating night in Hamilton. A Chiefs team missing their eight-strong All Black contingent were superior in almost every facet as they raced to a commanding lead in the first half and never looked like losing it after the break.
Led by a captain's knock from Stephen Donald that belied his 32 years, the Chiefs attack didn't miss a beat without several sparkplugs, living off scraps and looking far more lethal than a rather generous opponent.
It was one thing for Wales to struggle with the Chiefs' running game - many Super Rugby sides know that feeling, although that component is usually marshalled by Aaron Cruden and Damian McKenzie. But it was quite another for the tourists to be so ineffective when they had their hands on the ball.
The opening stages were, perhaps understandably, disjointed as a couple of patchwork sides struggled to find fluency, but Wales never looked like emerging successful from that particular search. They were aimless when inside the opposition 22 and toothless when close to the line, sometimes repelled by a fierce Chiefs defence but often undone by their own profligacy.
On several occasions Wales appeared to pick the wrong option with the line in sight, keeping it close when space was required or choosing the wrong direction when an overlap seemed inevitable. And when they hit the Chiefs' line they were hit hard, unable to match the home side's physicality despite the late inclusion of captain Sam Warburton.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, offered a clinical lesson in how to make the most of their chances. Being forced to survive with less possession and worse field position, Rennie's men were lethal when they sniffed a chance, exemplified by Donald and Brad Weber linking well for the first try.
Donald's strength was a feature of the opener and subsequent scores, as the Chiefs took a 21-0 lead to halftime, also relied on that quality, with the Welsh defence wilting whenever the Chiefs enjoyed the opportunity to string together phases close to the line.
Those opportunities initially dried up after the break as Wales' stranglehold on the ball saw the game played in only one half, yet they still battled to find any penetration to match their possession. While a lineout at least helped them avoid an embarrassing duck, there was more embarrassment to come.
Another 10-minute stretch deep in opposition territory came to nothing and another lightning-fast Chiefs break - started and finished by James Lowe - provided an instant demonstration about what Wales were lacking and, at the same time, essentially sealed the match.
The Chiefs were now in party mood and blew out the score after crossing form long range on another couple of occasions, with the crowd completing a memorable night with a well-deserved standing ovation as Donald limped from the field.
Chiefs 40 (Weber, Sanders, Bird, Donald, Pulu, McNicol tries; Donald 4 cons, Lowe con)
Wales 7 (Dacey try; Priestland con)
Halftime 21-0
