It all unravelled in the space of 80 minutes for Footscray in the Victorian Rugby Union first-grade Dewar Shield on Anzac Day.
The Bulldogs entered a blockbuster clash against Melbourne University full of beans, fresh after a bye and with good vibes from an unbeaten month entrenched in the top four.
But it all went wrong for the Bulldogs in a horror-show game that put them back in their place.
The ladder-leading University thrashed the Bulldogs, 44-7, at Henry Turner Reserve.
The heavy defeat was hard enough to take for Bulldogs’ coach Justin Carroll without the loss of two key playmakers to long-term injuries.
Iasaiah Leota, son of Trevor, a former Wasps’ star of 202 games and a 30-time Samoan international, could possibly be out for the season after injuring his ACL.
Leota jnr looked set to have a massive season for the Bulldogs but this appears to have been cut painfully short.
Harry Key, one of the club’s exciting English imports, also played a vital part in the Bulldogs’ hot start to the season.
But he will miss upwards of six weeks after tearing a quad.
The Bulldogs were down to the bare bones on Saturday, having already entered the match without team leaders Frank Amituanai and Allan Imo.
They proved simply no match for a University side that Carroll says has the potential to go undefeated between now and the finals.
“We knew this was going to be a really difficult game for us,” he told Star Weekly. “At full strength, we’d be up to it, but we were very much undermanned.
“We had six regular starters out and we lost our two most potent backline members in the first 10 minutes,” Carroll said.
“I’m not taking anything away from them, they’re a red-hot outfit and I wouldn’t be surprised if they got to the semi-finals without dropping a game.
“They’ve recruited well; they’ve brought in a lot of players from over the ditch and they’ve got some serious strike power,” he said.
“Being a little bit undermanned, once they got away from us early on, it was a bit hard to peg them back knowing that we didn’t have the strike power we normally have.”
Footscray had little reason to smile, but the return of Tim Diack was a positive.
Diack returned from a trip to New Zealand and resumed his role on the flank.
“It was good to have him back,” Carroll said.
“He was on the ball all day; he’s Mr Perpetual Motion.
“He turned up at every breakdown and plays well above his weight.”
Shane Imo fought hard at flyhalf and stand-in skipper Ikuna Tukuafu led from the front.
Asema Williams picked up a consolation try, but Carroll will be in no rush to relive it.
“I didn’t even get the tape of the game,” he said.
“It was one of those games we want to put behind us.
“We’ve got Endeavour Hills this week away and we’re going to regroup, get back on the bike and get going again.”
