Scrum-half rounds off his Heineken Cup adventure with a win, but he feels that there is still 'a big challenge ahead for the Ospreys'.
The Springbok international has been on a Northern Hemisphere sabbatical with the Ospreys after signing on loan from Stormers to cover an injury crisis that left the region without any ERC registered nines, and he says that he will head back to South Africa delighted with the way his time at the Liberty Stadium has gone.
Speaking minutes after the 17-12 win over Leicester, he said:
“It’s job done for me, but the job goes on for the rest of the boys. The team still has a lot of hard work to do, we’ve only made it as far as the quarter-finals so there is still a big challenge ahead for the Ospreys.
“The team has done very well to get to this point, we’ve had a good run of results and have shown that we are made of tough stuff after the disappointment of last weekend. We wanted to come out today and show the real Ospreys because we felt we didn’t do that last Saturday. I’m just delighted that we have managed to get the win today, not for me because I’m going back, but for the boys who have all worked so hard for the Ospreys, and for the fans and people of the area who have made me very welcome.
“The last few months have been fantastic for me, I’ve really enjoyed my time as an Osprey. The standard of rugby has been really high, and I’ve loved playing in the Heineken Cup and in Welsh derbies, I’ve been made to really feel at home here, I can’t speak highly enough of what I’ve experienced.
“It was a fantastic moment at the end of the game, being carried by the players. The guys are a good bunch of people, they are good mates now and they live for each other. I’m pleased that they are happy with my contribution to the team, it means that I’ve come here and done a good job.
“There are some great players here, some of them I knew from playing Super14 and Tri Nations, or like Ryan Jones and Shane Williams from international rugby, as well as some really exciting young players who are the future of the Ospreys and Wales. I feel privileged to have had the chance to come and know these guys and to play with them, and I certainly feel that I’m going back to South Africa the better for it.
“What I certainly know is that I would have no qualms coming back over here if the possibility ever came up again. This was only ever a short-term measure, but at the end of the day, I have seen for myself the quality of the set-up, the playing staff and the coaches, and they have ambition to do well.
“Hopefully, the Ospreys can build on this result. I will certainly be following them from South Africa and I wish them all the best.”