It was that rarest of sights, a team all juiced up for 80 minutes of intense battle, arms linked in a team huddle just seconds before kickoff, suddenly breaking into song, the Hukanui club song to be exact, based around the tune from 1950s classic 76 Trombones.
And they could hold a tune too, belting out several verses as the Otumoetai Eels emerged from the changing sheds.
But 20 minutes later the tune for the team from just outside Hamilton had changed into a more doleful blues chorus, their Waicoa Bays premier season in shreds as the Bay Sprint Couriers-sponsored Eels atoned for the embarrassment of the previous week's playoffs effort with a top-drawer performance to ensure their season moves into another week.
The clinical Eels were a far cry from the side thumped 48-20 by the Pacific Sharks in the first round of playoffs, scoring off just their second set on Saturday at Mitchell Park and running in nine tries in total in a 46-0 win.
Wing Johnny Taamilo bagged three tries, with left-sided wing Chris Adamson and hard-running prop James Poharama getting two each in a consummate display against a side who looked the goods in the warm-up but left any defensive intensity they possessed there.
The under-strength Eels were embarrassing in their loss to the Sharks, not so much because of the opportunity squandered but more through their lack of effort.
Half Josh Weeden said they had worked hard all week on remedying that effort, sparked by some harsh self-analysis and tough-talking from coach Brett Roger.
"It was night and day between that game and today. We'd worked heaps on our defence this week and obviously it has paid off, keeping them to nil. We're a team who can score points but it's just our defence. We have patches where we switch off for 10 minutes and teams give it to us, but today there was a big difference."
Weeden, who was contracted by the Canberra Raiders before playing professionally in the UK, was the puppet master, finding Taamilo for the Eels' second try with a wondrous double cut-out pass and giving the abrasive wing his hat-trick late in the first half with a laser-like crossfield bomb.
In between, Poharama and Kene Tompson ran hard for good yards and Otumoetai were solid right across the park, completing their sets and never allowing Hukanui any easy yards.
Weeden said it had helped that the players had switched on during the week as well.
"We got a good tune-up, which we deserved, but had more blokes at training Tuesday and Thursday. Having Po[harama] back was a big one because he gets us going forward and that's what we lacked last week.
"We were making contact in defence but not sticking in defence."
If Weeden carries any burden of expectation on his shoulders it doesn't show, with the Aussie deflecting praise the way of his teammates.
"We're a bloody good team when everyone turns up and switches on mentally, so today's effort wasn't a big surprise. Although we've lost a lot of players as the season's gone on, we're still in with a shot if the young fellas keep going hard.
"All I'm trying to do is pass on some of what I've learned during my time in Australia and the UK."
Meanwhile, a lack of discipline almost cost Pikiao Warriors the chance to continue the dream of snaring their first Waicoa Bay premiership title as they held on to beat Taupo Phoenix 16-14.
Taupo had a chance to send the game into golden point with a try on fulltime but were unsuccessful with the conversion.
Pacific Sharks narrowly lost to 30-28 to Hamilton City Tigers to move into sudden death and Ngaruawahia won a one-point thriller against Taniwharau 28-27.
Hamilton City and Ngaruawahia are straight through to the major semifinal.
Waicoa Bay premier scorers:
Bay Sprint Couriers Otumoetai Eels 46 (Johnny Taamilo 3, James Poharama 2, Chris Adamson 2, Pila Visesio, Tane Taitoko tries; Josh Weeden 5 goals) Hukanui 0. Halftime: 32-0.
Pikiao 16 (Joe Nuku, Manaaki O'Brien, Andrew Gardiner tries; Reece Hohepa con, Pirikawana Taiatini con) Taupo 14 (Te Miri Rangi, John Koko 2 tries; John Koko con) Halftime: 6-4.
Pacific 28 Hamilton City Tigers 30, Ngaruawahia 28 Taniwharau 27.