An emotional University coach Simon Hackett struggled to hold back tears after watching the Mallee Bulls break through for their first win of the Illawarra District Rugby Union season.
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The fact the Mallee Bulls downed Tech Waratahs 34-22 at Saunders Oval to win the latest installment of the 'Battle of the Bridge' just added to the occasion.
But for Hackett his joy was down to the fact his team had finally been rewarded with a win after tasting defeat in their opening seven games of the season.
"I'm just so happy and proud of them. It's been a long time coming but they deserved it today," the coach said.
"We've not been that far away in a lot of games and today we just stuck at it.
"I felt we were the better team throughout the whole game and I thought we deserved it and they deserve to sing the song they're about to sing.
"They're about to sing our song and they deserve to because they've worked hard.
"We're a small side and we work hard at our processes and this reward is well deserved for the boys.
"I'm so happy for the boys to sing the song. They've worked hard all year. It's fantastic."
Uni started the brighter and were good value for their 17-3 lead midway through the first half on the back of a penalty goal and converted tries to Jack Hannaford and Joseph Paasi.
Hannaford's five-pointer came after the fullback somehow regathered a kick which he almost dropped but kicked it ahead before regathering the ball to score near the posts.
The visitors had all the momentum at this stage but the Tahs refused to lie down and went to the main break all square at 17-17 after Ethan Maker and Giordan Patea crossed for tries.
The Mallee Bulls again put their noses in front early in the second when Jack Miller scored but the Tahs soon reduced the deficit to 24-22 after Jonathon Lally scored a try.
The visitors iced the victory late on with a penalty goal to inspirational captain Tom Baker and try to Harvey Kenny, with Baker adding two points with a successful conversion.
Baker finished with 14 points courtesy of two penalty goals and four conversions.
The fly-half led his team brilliantly with some incisive kicking, running and passing to set up his outside backs.
I'm so happy for the boys to sing the song. They've worked hard all year. It's fantastic.
- Uni coach Simon Hackett
"Our captain was tremendous today," Hackett said.
"There were a couple of boys on debut who also excelled. Our No 5 [Edward Moir] is just 20-years-old but he was immense.
"Our No 2 Samuel Milross-Rose was also unbelievable but really it was just a great team effort.
"We scored good tries out wide and the forwards lay platforms for us and we counter attacked really well.
"As you can see I'm very emotional. It's a big win for us.
"I'm very, very, proud of that group of young men over there. We've worked hard and I see them suffer a lot.
"Hopefully we can just lift now and we can keep going forward and keep building on what we've done and be competitive for the rest of the season.
"We have been there or thereabouts in all games. Now we need to take the next step in our upcoming games."
His Tech Waratahs counterpart Matt Evans conceded his team were second best and praised Uni on their win.
Evans also admitted resting key players backfired, as did underestimating the Mallee Bulls.
"It's disappointing from our point of view but good on them, they deserved to win," he said.
"We rested a couple of key players but maybe we shouldn't have.
"These guys came hard today and, well done to them, they played a pretty good game of rugby.
"They kept the ball, we didn't keep the ball. That was what we were trying to accomplish today.
"Our post contact strips was terrible. Our post contact control of the ball was also pretty terrible.
"But, it is what it is, any team can win on any given Saturday."
Evans said Uni's attitude was better and they deserved the reward they got.
"I thought they played really well. I thought we were probably way too relaxed, which is what happens.
"That's probably our work and lesson from today....we gotta stop underestimating the underdogs.
"We like being the underdogs. We don't like not being the underdogs, you know, and that's a maturity thing and that'll come.
"But we definitely paid the price for resting a couple of key people today.
"I think when we take some of those game breakers out of the game, we miss them scoring points, which is what we were trying to work on today.
"We have become a little bit too used to game breakers coming in and scoring a try. So the goal was to work for the tries today. Unfortunately we didn't really execute that and paid the price."
Meantime, Mark Brandon had a field day helping the reigning premiers Shoalhaven down Shamrocks 52-10.
The winger finished with 32 points courtesy of four tries and six conversions, in the Shoals eighth win on the trot.
Elsewhere Avondale hammered Camden 57-0 and Campbelltown beat Bowral 45-38.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
