"Did they want it to be a night where they competed with Farrer, or did they want it to be a night where they beat Farrer?"
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That was the message Armidale junior rugby union coach Jason Walker gave his side in the pouring rain at half-time in their under-18 clash against a very strong Farrer Memorial Agricultural High First XV at TAS Doody Park.
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Down 5-0 at the break, the Armidale side dug their heels in throughout the second half and it paid dividends.
With five minutes left on the clock, Shuaib Rhodes-Swain scored in the corner to draw level with Farrer.
That left Grayson Te Moana, the son of Armidale and NSW Country representative Mike Te Moana, the challenging task of slotting the conversion from the sideline.
He nailed it and the Armidale side won the match 7-5.
"Then we managed to hang on in the last five minutes under severe pressure," Walker said.
"When the referee blew the whistle, everyone broke down in disbelief and emotion for what the boys have achieved."
This year the Armidale junior side has doubled their wins from the previous two seasons of the regional competition which features sides from schools and clubs across the New England and Central North Zones.
The Armidale side came together nearly three years ago. Only one player - Walker's son Bradman - had rugby union experience.
In their first season together (2018) they didn't win a game. Last year they managed to score a win in their final match of the season.
This year, the team - dubbed "the Mighty Mongrels" for their tenacity and lack of rugby experience - has won two of their three opening matches.
"It was totally unexpected and no one gave Armidale under-18s any chance," Walker said of the Farrer clash.
Their next test will be this Friday against undefeated Quirindi, and Walker is hoping they haven't played their grand final already.