Significantly, the Arrowtown premiers only registered two- and six-point wins over the same opposition last year.
Playing at home, over the first 26 minutes Arrowtown only had a converted try to lock Aidan Conrad-Hinga, normally a flanker, to show for their efforts, against a penalty to Matakanui, who were still in the game.
However, the floodgates opened for the rest of the half as they scored five tries — to forward Alesana Tulafono then backs Ben Sisson, Nick Stringer, Damian Ratwatte and Taine Wallace — to grab a 44-3 lead.
Right winger Stringer scored the next two tries to make it three for the game. While he failed to convert those two, he otherwise did not miss off the tee for a match haul of 31 points.
Their next try-scorer, from a superb build-up, was blindside flanker Mathew Marley on debut.
A former under-20 Cardiff Blues player, the 29-year Millbrook Resort greenkeeper was probably Arrowtown’s best on the day with his running and tackling and even a line-out steal which led to a try.
Arrowtown next advanced to 66-3 with a second try to well-performed centre Sisson.
Matakanui No 8 Dean Sinnamon then scored two great solo tries to lend a little respectability to his team’s score.
As to whether Arrowtown’s 66 will be clickety-click for their season — coming after two years in which they only recorded three wins apiece — their performance in Wānaka this Saturday against defending champions Upper Clutha could be telling.
Arrowtown assistant coach Malcolm Sutherland said what made him happiest "was the way we scored".
"We broke them down. We just didn’t rely on maybe old-school set-piece tactics, and we scored some great tries out wide."
Marley was "outstanding".
Chris Nolan, who has played nearly 300 games for Matakanui and coincidentally employs experienced Arrowtown prop Tom McKenzie, said: "We made it hard for ourselves. We left a few holes for them to hit."
Nolan was looking forward to this weekend’s bye as a chance for the team to "regroup and work on a few things" before they host Wakatipu the week after.
In other games on Central Otago opening day, Upper Clutha beat Maniototo 38-17, and Alexandra pipped Cromwell 29-22.
