The emotion was written all over the faces of Moana Pasifika players and staff, as they basked in their dramatic maiden Super Rugby victory on Friday night.
After Solomone Funaki's try in the dying minutes had sent the match into golden point, Danny Toala's piece of individual brilliance to regather his own kick and crash over the line to sink the Hurricanes 24-19 and spark wild scenes of celebration across Mt Smart Stadium.
Grinning from ear to ear, captain Sekope Kepu ranked the outpouring at fulltime to his Super Rugby title-winning experience with the Waratahs, dedicating the win to the Pasifika greats of the past who laid the foundation for the team's conception.
Two of those were on hand to witness history, with Sir Michael Jones one of the first on the field to congratulate his team, while Sir Bryan 'BeeGee' Williams joined them in their post-game huddle to deliver a heartfelt speech.
"Just very proud," Kepu told broadcaster Sky. "The giants that went before us...that was for them and our fans.
"It was almost like winning Super Rugby back in 2014, that hard work paying off.
After opening their debut Super Rugby campaign with a pair of comprehensive defeats, Kepu said the win will make their peers sit up and take notice - a crucial step in earning credibility across the competition.
"We're on the board and can earn a bit of respect from the other teams. That's what we're building towards.
"We had to work hard from last week, the pride and the passion. We worked really hard in the preseason, and we knew we've got it in us. We just needed to string it together."
Coach Aaron Mauger was still collecting his breath after some raucous celebrations in the coaching box, as he attempted to assess what had just taken place.
"I'm a little bit lost for words, to be fair," Mauger told Sky. "It's a good feeling.
"Obviously we were pretty ecstatic when Danny [Toala] went over. I thought the pressure was building in the second half."
The win was a culmination of hours of toil and determination from his side, Mauger added.
"I'm really proud of the guys. They started to believe and trust the game plan a little bit more. You have to learn fast in this competition. These teams are pretty lethal.
"I'm really proud of the boys for trusting, and believing, and getting the job done."
Locked at 7-7 going into the interval, Mauger was confident the contest was there for the taking if they could secure some more ball in hand, after the Hurricanes had enjoyed the majority of possession and forced Moana Pasifika to a mountain of defending.
"I feel like we are probably chasing too much. If we can get that right and control the ball and control the territory a bit more, we've shown what we can do.
"I had a sense in the changing room. The boys were nice and calm. The belief was there at halftime and then it was just backing the process.
"I'm extremely proud."
But for as much as they'd celebrate their momentous victory, Mauger insists the team would be keeping their feet firmly planted, realising the challenge now lies in building on their momentum against the Blues in their rescheduled match on Tuesday.
"It's one outcome," Mauger said. “Last week we were beaten by 50 points, but we're certainly going to celebrate this.
"It was nice to see our game start to flow, and we'll take a lot of belief into Tuesday night's game against the Blues as well."
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