Easts beat Uni-Norths Owls to win first game in three years in John I Dent Cup
Imagine waiting three years for the first win of your career and then having the responsibility of kicking the goal to end a 1106-day drought for the oldest club in Canberra.
"I was shitting myself," grinned Jacob Angelatos.
Easts Ratu Jone Pio Macanawai scores a try in the first half.
Photo: Elesa KurtzLuckily the Easts flyhalf held his nerve to slot a late conversion from in front to snap a three-year losing streak, sparking wild celebrations at Griffith Oval on Saturday.
It was the moment every Easts player had been dreaming of since March 28, 2015 when they won their last match. And the tears were flowing when the full-time whistle went as Easts beat the Uni-Norths Owls 22-20.
First there were cheers and tears, but then the confusion set in as Easts players charged into the change rooms as winners for the first time three seasons.
When it got to the big moment - the team song - the stopped to look at each other, shrugged their shoulders and belted out a muffled version that will go down as one of the sweetest in the club's 80-year history.
The players can be forgiven for not knowing the words of the song as officials handed out cheat sheets following a memorable triumph.
"What an unreal feeling. This means so much to this club," said new coach Tim Cornforth.
"Look over there. There are old boys in tears. Even our players are in tears. Guys who are new to this club, coaches that are new ... we know what this win means."
The Canberra rugby premier division enjoyed a brilliant day to open their season. Defending champions Royals scored a one-point win over the Tuggeranong Vikings and Queanbeyan beat Gungahlin 39-38 in another thriller.
But it was Easts who tugged on the heartstrings of everyone in the club rugby community when the only foundation team left in the John I Dent Cup won its first game since March 28, 2015. In doing so, they also won the Owen Brown Cup and are the inaugural holders of the Bob Hitchcock Territory challenge shield.
The past three years have been brutal at Easts. They've lost 40 games in a row, conceded 2087 points and almost collapsed as a club as financial and performance pressure took its toll.
So a gripping win was the perfect way to start Easts' 80th-season celebrations and players, officials and old boys broke down in tears of happiness when the final whistle went.
It meant so much to everyone at the club not because of the hope it gives them for this year, but because of what they've been through to get to that moment.
Flyhalf Angelatos is one of only a handful of players who have endured the pain of recent years, starting at the club in 2014 and making his first-grade debut in the same year Easts one their last game.
In the clash against the Owls, he missed one penalty shot and three conversions. Then lightning quick winger George Morseu ran 45 metres to score a try and draw Easts level at 20-20 with five minutes left.
Angelatos had the job of grabbing the kicking tee and slotting over the most important shot at goal of his brief career.
"They just weren't going over earlier, I'm lucky George ran it under the posts. He did me a bit of a favour there," Angelatos said.
"It's only round one, but it's been a tough three years so to get that one off our backs is huge. We can just focus on other things for the rest of the year."
Angelatos slotted it from in front, and in doing so helped Easts become the first holders of the inaugural Bob Hitchcock Territory Shield, which has been introduced to the competition this year.
Hitchcock, a Canberra rugby legend, has been suffering ill health in recent years but was on the sideline to present the shield to Easts, sparking wild celebrations for the club.
Mees Erasmus and Ratu Macanawai scored first-half tries for Easts to give them a 10-6 half-time lead. But Jordan Thompson's boot and tries to Phil Ferrara and Tamera Hikaru set the stage for Owls to inflict another painful loss on their rivals.
Cornforth is trying to build a new belief and confidence in his rookie season as a first-grade coach. And instead of wilting like they had done in previous games, Easts dug in and found a way to win.
Peni Nifo scored a brilliant individual try and then Morseu broke away to score the try to give Angelatos a shot to win the game.
"I talked about the process that we've been working for. I tip my hat to everyone behind the scenes," Cornforth said.
"The atmosphere here was unbelievable. The shield is amazing, it makes every game a final. Some of these guys have never won a game ... we've got the song printed out, so we're fine."
John I Dent Cup: EASTS 22 (R Macanawai, M Erasmus, P Nifo, G Morseu tries; J Angelatos conversion) bt UNI NORTHS OWLS 20 (P Ferrara, T Hikaru tries; J Thompson 2 penalties); ROYALS 32 bt TUGGERANONG VIKINGS 31, QUEANBEYAN WHITES 39 bt GUNGAHLIN EAGLES 38.
Women: Uni-Norths Owls 31 bt ADFA 7.
Second grade: Uni-Norths Owls 26 bt Easts 7, Tuggeranong Vikings 53 bt Royals 26, Queanbeyan Whites 26 bt Gungahlin Eagles 22.
Colts: Uni-Norths Owls 24 bt Easts 17, Tuggeranong Vikings 49 bt Royals 19, Queanbeyan Whites 12 bt Gungahlin Eagles 10.
FIRST DIVISION
First grade: Easts/RMC 14 drew with Uni-Norths Owls 14, Royals 19 bt Tuggeranong Vikings 12, Queanbeyan Whites 44 bt Gungahlin Eagles 17, Cooma 32 bt Young 27, ADFA 43 bt Wests 10, Hall 33 bt Goulburn 21.
Second grade: Royals 21 bt Tuggeranong Vikings 14, Queanbeyan Whites 25 bt Gungahlin Eagles 21, ADFA 37 bt Wests 33, Hall 15 bt Goulburn 14.