Stepping onto CommBank Stadium for their first ever Super Rugby match, Fijian Drua were welcomed by thousands of cheering and screaming Drua fans, as they prepared to kick-off their historic season that had been so long in the making.
An outsider could have easily confused the match as a Drua home game, Fiji fans so outnumbering Tahs supporters, while the conditions would have reminded their players of home; hot, humid, Suva-like weather, that by halftime had turned into light rain that did little to reduce the temperature.
Players and fans alike were full of passion from start to the fulltime siren; cheers went up at the kickoff, quickly followed at their first lineout win, their first scrum and at every attacking raid. The loudest coming after their first ever try from captain Nemani Nagusa, as he bashed his way through Tahs' Lachie Swinton and crashed over the line.
As the rain hammered down following the fulltime siren, the players remained on the field, walking around the stadium to thank their fans. After the match, softly spoken Nagusa had only a few words as he spoke of the passion Fiji fans have for their rugby.
"We had huge support tonight from the Fijian community here in Sydney, I was very thankful," the No.8 said. "We love our rugby, Fijians love our rugby, and we saw them tonight, it means a lot so we just went out there and appreciate them coming out tonight and supporting us in our first ever game."
As history was made with the Drua taking to the field, they treated the rugby watching world with a fiery performance of 'Na Bole', a spiritual pre-game war dance as they prepared for battle. The importance of the moment wasn't lost on Waratahs players or their coach Darren Coleman, who knew this moment would stick with his players for life.
"It was a cool moment to be involved in," Coleman said. "For their country, such a proud rugby nation like Fiji, I'm glad we were involved.
"They asked us if we would mind them doing their tribal dance, their challenge, and I believe it's an advantage to them, but geez that's the stuff you want to be there for. These boys will remember this moment, 'remember the time we faced the Fijian dance in their first ever Super Rugby game?', it's pretty cool for our lads to be a part of.
"It's a beautiful thing for the Fijian culture and how many Fijians were in the crowd, it was so good."
As expected from the Drua, they brought their fast, frenetic pace to the game, looking threatening with their frantic energy, while the bone-crunching tackles could be heard high up in the stands. Despite the scoreline, they wouldn't be rolling over.
So often they reached the Tahs red zone; bashing through the gainline, their forward pack driving down field in every tackle, but missed connections, building combinations and perhaps just nerves ate at almost all their try-scoring chances. Balls were dropped, lineout throws were overthrown or simply picked off, as they handed the ball over 20 times during the match.
"I think that the boys found out tonight what Super Rugby is about and they went out there and expressed themselves and I'm really proud of the way they fought out the game and hung in there and they threw everything at it," Drua coach Mick Byrne said.
"I think executing and combinations and just getting comfortable at the pace of the game [will be a focus]. You know it's all those things, I think it's a combination of all those together tonight. But I was really proud of the way they fought it out."
As the rain started to build in intensity and the benches were cleared with 10 minutes on the clock, Drua's hectic style of attack looked the most threatening of the evening. Camped in the Waratahs 22, raid after attacking raid was sent at the line. Their big men came charging, while they tested the Tahs' width and the ball was treated like a hot potato. Execution came up short and there would be no extra points, but the threat was clear.
"They started well, and we said to do the same thing, but you know they executed their game plan really well, but for us we just missed out on a few opportunities that we had, our execution was not there," Nagusa said.
"It's disappointing [not scoring in the final 15 minutes]. We spent a lot of time in their 22 but came out empty handed. But, you know, that's happened and we'll learn from it. It's our first game and we'll take that learning to our next game against the Brumbies."
While the 40-10 scorecard will read against them, Fijian Drua's first ever Super Rugby Pacific match will remain an historic moment as a new era of Super Rugby begins.