It was the final stand of the 'Dads Army' of Tasman Tanning Premier, and what a grandstand finish it was.
A 25m drop goal in the last play of injury time by McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu centre Craig Clare snatched a stunning 28-26 victory over devastated favourites Waverley Harvesting Border in Saturday's championship final at Cooks Gardens.
Coming out with a hiss and a roar from their sublime forward pack who made determined surges, forced turnovers in held-up mauls and tackled ferociously, Ruapehu made all the early running to lead 18-3 approaching halftime.
However, it was a familar script for the defending champions, who despite being out of sorts after conceeding a host of early penalties, while unable to consistently free up their lightning quick backline, had previously trailed Ruapehu twice this season and again backed themselves in the final quarter.
Border scored tries each side of halftime after Ruapehu errors in their own half, and then the steady boot of Nick Harding (six from six) appeared to have got them home, despite Ruapehu previously regaining enough momentum for inspirational hooker and captain Roman Tuataha to sweep his way under the posts for the underdogs third try.
Hot on attack in the dying minutes with a 26-25 lead, Border may regret their 74th minute decision to take a 5m scrum after Ruapehu were penalised stopping them just short, rather than letting the unerring Harding attempt a seventh kick to take them out to a four-point buffer.
Player of the day No8 Fraser Hammond, who was brilliant from the first minute to the 81st, ripped back posession off Border's tryscoring lock Sekonaia Kalou for Ruapehu to break out from their dangerzone.
It highlighted a clutch performance where Hammond ran over the top of tacklers, was a key lineout figure, and inspired his team mates with great offloads and unbreakable defence.
Still playing the percentages with five minutes left, Border engaged in a territory kicking duel with Ruapehu, but a penalty for offside at the breakdown gave the Ohakune team one final shot at glory.
Controlling the ball with one-off surges, Ruapehu ended up camped midfield on Border's 22m, unable to advance any further and with Border calmly keeping a wall but not over-reaching to concede a 16th penalty.
So it all came down to Clare, sitting back in the pocket with a long time to get sighted, and when the pass came with three scrambling defenders right behind it, the playmaker coolly struck it sweet and was buried under a mountain of his hugging team mates, while Border's younger players went from shock to collapsing in tears.
A veteran of Super Rugby, four NPC provinces and Europe, it was the first time Clare had ever telegraphed a field goal after the buzzer.
"Not to win, not a droppie," he said.
"I was hoping we'd get the penalty. I was a bit worried it was going to get charged down."
Claiming their first Premier championship since 2013, the emotional celebrations also signalled the end of a era, as post-match it was revealed to be the final game for at least a third of Ruapehu's dymanic veterans.
Stalwarts Peter Rowe and older brother Ian, along with front rowers Kim McNaught and Karl Parker are all hanging up the boots, along with possibly others riding off into a Mt Ruapehu sunset.
Delighted coach Daisy Alabaster praised those veterans, including the likes of Andrew Evans for his important cameo off the bench, while also pointing out the future is secure with young props Gabriel Hakaraia and reserve Mac-James Edmonds stepping up to the occassion.
"We played well for good parts of it.
"We were our own worst enemy just after halftime.
"But that's Rua - look at last week, look at today, got out of jail. I've got to go buy a Lotto ticket."
Border coach Justin Lock was dissapointed by philosophical.
"We knew they were going to bring the heat early on, but we just couldn't get any go forward.
"We had three chances for fast ball in their 22m and got penalties every time. They defended bloody well.
"There's nothing going into the day we could have done better, that's just the way a game of rugby is."
Getting the better of the opening exchanges up front and working forward off the whistle of referee Kawana Tihema, Ruapehu opened their account with Clare's penalty right in front in the sixth minute.
Although playing without momentum, Border showed how dangerous they were out-wide as first-five Grayson Tihema, centre Kaveni Dabenaise and Harding ran hard a half gaps, while Ruapehu nearly scored when winger Corey Carmichael could not quite haul in an in-goal grubber kick.
After receiving the first six penalties, Ruapehu now began to catch Kawana Tihema's eye, with Harding drawing his team level in the 21st minute.
From here, Ruapehu stepped up another gear, as Hammond made big in-roads to draw another penalty chance for Clare, and then came a vintage Ruapehu score where halfback Kahl Elers-Green went over beside a tryline ruck after surges from Peter Rowe, fellow flanker Jamie Hughes and others.
Border had a chance to reply but the backs squander possession with bad handling, and Ruapehu counterattacked with first-five Josh Fifita finding the gap, supported by Hammond, and then the long pass was sent to fullback Shaquille Waara to score in the corner for 18-3 approaching halftime.
Now it was Ruapehu's turn to blink, as they dropped the kickoff then gave away a penalty, as Kalou, prop Hamish Mellow and No8 Ranato Tikoisolomone brought Border to the line, before feinting spreading right as Mellow instead burrowed in left of the ruck for a flattering 18-10.
It got worse for Ruaephu at the second half kickoff with an accidental shepherd, so Border attacked from the scrum through Kalou and prop Tietie Tuimauga, with Kalou resetting to take the ball and reach out with one arm over his tackler for 18-17.
Both sides began to run on their benches and unlike their prior meetings, Ruapehu now had equal depth and quality, and although Border were getting the better of territory, the underdogs swooped on a mistake to slowly work forward and recycle, before Tutauha put on a perfect step off both feet to flash under the posts for 25-17 in the 55th minute.
Border immediately replied with a Harding penalty following a long break by halfback Lindsay Horrocks, and the champions began to turn the screws, with play getting real physical as Ruapehu winger Robert Hughes required a blue card after being knocked out at the bottom of one ruck.
Harding had two difficult penalty chances out wide in the 64-67th minutes, and he landed both just over the cross bar to break 200 points for the season and finally give his team the lead.
Border then nearly wrapped it up as Tuimauga set up a chance for both reserve winger Harry Symes and Harding to have a crack at scoring in the corner, but Hammond cleared the dangerzone and Ruapehu would end up just close enough for Clare to kick them into the history books.
Ruapehu 28 (Kahl Elers-Green, Shaquille Waara, Roman Tutauha tries; Craig Clare 2 pen, drop goal, 2 con) bt Border 26 (Hamish Mellow, Sekonia Kalou tries; Nick Harding 4 pen, 2 con). HT: 18-10.
