Filo Tiatia and Tommy Bowe have paid credit to the region's fans for the way in which they backed the team during Saturday night's 19-14 win over Munster at the Liberty Stadium.
Their comments echo the words of Head Coach Sean Holley, who praised the crowd for the part they played in the win when speaking to the media post-match on Saturday evening, saying:
“I really thought that they got behind the players on a dreadful night, they were awesome. They haven’t had a lot to cheer about out here this season so far, but tonight we’ve gone up against a full-on Munster team, beaten them, and they played a part.”
Tiatia once again defied time to put a typically barnstorming performance to keep driving the Ospreys forward, while Bowe was in outstanding form as he crossed for his sixth try of the season to put his side in front for the first time early in the second half.
More than 8,000 fans braved horrendous weather conditions as the rain lashed down, despite the game being broadcast live on TV, and they were rewarded by a big performance from the Ospreys as they got the crucial second period of the season off to a winning start.
Tiatia said:
“The support on Saturday night was fantastic, the crowd really made an impact on the boys, especially at the end of the second half when there was a period when Munster were on the attack and really chasing the game. The boys all appreciated their support and how vocal they were during the game, it really lifted us. It’s a big thanks from us really, the players are all really glad that they came out to support us, particularly on such a bad night. It does mean a lot to the group.
“It was the first game of an important period for us, we’ve got Viadana back-to-back, some big Welsh derbies and then more crucial Heineken Cup games next month, and we’ll need them backing us like that through all the games. We’re all in this together as a team, and everybody has a part to play, including the supporters. We know that they are behind us, and if they can perform like they did on Saturday night it’ll be a huge help for us towards our goal.”
Bowe added:
“It was a terrible evening and conditions were pretty miserable, so it was important that we put on a good show for the fans, and I think that in the second half in particular we are able to do that. The crowd were fully behind us and I think they enjoyed the rugby we were trying to play, we could definitely feel them picking up the atmosphere.
“The crowd can definitely have a positive influence on a match, the boys can feel it when the fans are getting behind us. It works both ways, we realise that we have to give them something to shout about, but we can feed off each other like happened on Saturday night. If we can keep the crowd coming, keep offering them entertainment, and give them a good experience, then we know that they’ll stay with us like they did at the weekend.
“It was a great atmosphere, they made a lot of noise and certainly played their part in pushing us across the finishing line. It certainly made an impression on the team and we’d love to see them like that for the big games we have at the Liberty Stadium between now and the end of next month, against Viadana, Cardiff Blues and Leicester, but like I said, we can’t expect them to do it every week, we have to give them something positive. These games coming up are massive for us. We know what we’ve got to do as a team and it would be great if all those there on Saturday can bring a friend and help support us by generating a similar atmosphere for those games.”