Fans piled into Invercargill's Blues club, Ethan de Groot's former team he played for before cracking the professional scene.
His old coach Mark Crosby, was full of pride.
"To play with 14 men for pretty much 70 minutes was unbelievable - to know the effort he has put in and to get to where he is today, I'm gutted for him," he said.
Like most rugby faithful around the country, Invercargill’s Blues rugby club started with a hot BBQ, sausages and onions sizzling for fans who had that fire burning for the All Blacks and for one of their own - Ethan de Groot.
A win for the southern lad known as 'Grooter' would have made him the first Southland All Black to start a World Cup final and go on to win the Webb Ellis Cup.
The match was an emotional rollercoaster for the Blues Club members, from those who played Gore’s grassroots with de Groot and the ones who helped him into the professional game.
"My heart rate is through the roof," said long-time friend Conner Millane.
"It’s going to be a tight game. I always thought it was going to be a tight game!"
But even though the result didn't go the All Blacks way, Southland is proud of how far the 25-year-old has come.
"He’s come a long way, especially last year getting dropped," said Southland Stags Hooker Jacob Payne.
He's come back into that team and made the number 1 spot his own.
"All us boys back here in little old Invercargill, we’re proud of you, mate - you’ve done a top job," Payne said.
SHARE ME