The Green Island dressing rooms were the place to be on Saturday.
The club snapped a 24-game losing streak in the premier competition with a thrilling 29-28 win over Alhambra-Union at Miller Park.
The team scored three converted tries in the last 20 minutes to seal the win in dramatic fashion.
"Jubilant. The boys were pretty happy,'' was how coach Dean Moeahu described the scene.
"I think from a coach's point of view, it was good to get a little bit of a reward for the hard work they have been putting in.''
Moeahu puts Green Island's stunning comeback down to improved fitness and it also helped having three Highlanders in the side.
"Our big thing in the off season was to improve the guys' conditioning.''
Last season Green Island was often competitive for the first 40 minutes but the team would fall off the pace in the second spell or towards the end of a half.
Moeahu said his side drifted during stages in the game and it was not until it went back to the game plan that it was able to make inroads.
Getting everyone "singing from the same hymn sheet'' was half the battle, he said.
Highlanders prop Ross Geldenhuys added some starch to the front row, outside back Jack Wilson produced some nice touches and Jackson Hemopo was a powerhouse on the flank.
But while Moeahu said the Highlanders trio played well, the whole team stepped up and took on more responsibility.
Green Island lost narrowly to Pirates in its opening game but picked up two valuable bonus points and is just outside the top four with seven points.
That said, the team is very realistic about its prospects this season.
When Moeahu says the team is looking ahead no further than its next game, it is not just a cliche.
"We are not setting any grand goal for the end of the year. We just want to go game by game, and as long as the guys show improvement through the season then we can say we met our goal.''
That next game is against Harbour at Miller Park tomorrow.
The Hawks trounced Green Island 99-7 when the two sides last met.
