Head Coach Steve Tandy said that Sunday's dramatic PRO12 Final win over Leinster was a just reward for the players who he described as 'relentless' in their pursuit of the a record fourth league success.
Speaking just minutes after the final whistle, Tandy said:
“That win is testament to everybody at the Ospreys, the team, the backroom staff, and everybody involved at the organisation. The team have been fantastic since I took over and they were relentless today. There were times that people probably thought we were out of the game but the guys dug deep. Some things were a little bit frantic out there but we stuck to what we’ve tried to achieve and we got what we deserved. It’s a real good time for the Ospreys, and a great way to finish the season.
“Today was about matchwinners and we had a lot of them out there. How can Shane continue to be the fairy tale? We are going to miss him, he’s a great ambassador for the British Lions, Wales and the Ospreys, but for now it’s just about us. He’s been great for us, and it was a fitting end for a wonderful Osprey.
“It’s been a turbulent season, it has, but we’ve earned this title. Back in February we just wanted to settle everything down first and foremost. We’ve changed a few things, but you have to remember we were second in the table already then, we were sitting in a real good position, and it was just about consolidating. With the group we’ve got, the fantastic players we’ve got, the fantastic staff we’ve got, testament to them, we were always capable of doing things. I had a huge response from the players and I feel they got what they deserved today.
“We’ve finished on a real high and we can enjoy this. We’ve got guys going away for international rugby now, we’ll wish them all the best, then we’ll regroup in pre-season, we’ll come back with smiles on our faces, but we can’t think that everything is rosy in the garden. There’s a lot of hard work in store, but it’s an exciting time for the Ospreys. I’m not going to set targets now, we’re in a good place, we’ve got a lot of young talent coming through, and next season we want to build on this win.
“Yes, for guys like Ryan, Adam, it was their fourth league win, but people like Tips, Becky, Hanno, it was their first title. Look at the youngsters we had on the bench, they’ve not experienced anything like this before and they showed what they were about. They didn’t come on to close out the game, they came on to win it, and can you imagine what that means to them? Sam Lewis and Tom Habberfield, 24th and 25th men, to experience this environment and to be around these guys, it can only hold us in good stead moving forward. It’s an exciting time for us, with young talent and a wealth of experience, it’s a good combination. “