BEING able to relax while wearing the blue of New South Wales in a national final against fierce rivals Queensland - it is not something which happens often, so when Cameron Trengove got his chance to do just that he soaked it up.
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The Saint Stanislaus' College first XV skipper was part of the NSW I outfit which crushed Queensland I to the tune of 58-5 in Saturday's Australian Schools Rugby Union Championship decider at Riverview.
The talented halfback watched on from the bench as his side made a flying start to lead 21-5 at half-time then pushed that advantage out even further in the second stanza.
By the time he got on the field it was already a sure thing that Trengove would be part of an impressive NSW I record at the tournament - they have made all but one decider since 2011 and won six of them.
"I couldn't believe it, it was very good," Trengove said.
"There were like four tries in five minutes - you could see the structures the coaches had been teaching us all week just come together.
"Our score was in the 40s by the time I got on the field, so it was well and truly over by then. When I got on everyone was just enjoying themselves, we were starting to realise we had it won, so it was more just throwing the ball around and enjoying those last minutes we had at the tournament.
"We were definitely stoked and definitely didn't expect it to be that much of a win."
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Staged at Riverview in Sydney, there was plenty of pressure on NSW I to perform.
The nature of the tournament meant any loss would rule Trengove and his team-mates out of the running to win the title.
However, they began with a 27-0 win over Queensland 2 then fought off ACT 36-14 to book a spot in the decider.
"It really all relies on how you go in that first game, if you lose you're automatically in the bottom pool. We prepared the same for every game, but yeah, there were a lot of nerves going into that first game. Fortunately we won that," Trengove said.
"ACT were a strong outfit, they really tested us and were quite physical, but we were lucky enough to get over them as well.
"There were plenty of quality sides there, I just think we came out on top due to our hard work throughout the week. We had great bonds within the team, everyone trusted each other on the field."
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The NSW I coaching staff prepared Trengove and his team-mates well for the decider, but the Stannies talent said they were still surprised at how they dominated against Queensland.
"We did have reviews through the week on Queensland and we knew they were going to be tough, but none of the boys expected that result in the end, it was a great way to cap the weekend off," he said.
"I got plenty of time, I think the coaches managed us pretty well and gave us all an opportunity to get on the field.
"I didn't get as much time as I would've liked in the final, but it was just a good experience being around the team and the coach, I was just happy to be a part of it.
"At the end we had a presentation, we were given a medal and a certificate, and that made me realise what we achieved was pretty awesome."
