Skipper Ryan Jones says that the mood in the camp is a mixture of disappointment and pleasure after the Ospreys were forced to settle for a draw against Leicester Tigers.
Honours were event at Welford Road after a pulsating 80 minutes of rugby, and speaking to the media immediately after the game, Jones said that there will be plenty of positives to take from the game, which finished 32 apiece, as well as plenty to work on ahead of next Sunday’s game against Clermont Auvergne at the Liberty Stadium (KO 12.45pm).
He said:
“The immediate reaction is a mix of disappointment at a good opportunity lost and pleasure at leaving here unbeaten and taking two points away from Welford Road, which is no mean feat. We conceded too many cheap points, it was a game that was in the balance for long periods, we had the upper hand, then they did, and possibly, we should have come away with it.
“There were facets of our game where it didn’t go as we would have wanted, others where it went pretty well so we’ll go home, pick the bones out of it, there’s a quick turnaround for Clermont Auvergne next week. We’re a point better off than where we were this time last year.
“We knew it was going to be a hard day at the office up front, they’ve got an extremely experienced pack with a big set-piece. We struggled early on to cope with it, and we have to come up with some answers pretty sharpish. Take nothing away from Leicester, they performed well and had the courage and belief to come back.
“It was to and fro, a bit of a stop start match. We’ve got some fantastic strike players and showed a great cutting edge, but we really need to keep the ball for longer periods and wear these teams down. But, there’s a lot of positives in there and it’s no mean feat to come up here and get two points in the Heineken Cup. You can tell from everyone’s face that it wasn’t an enjoyable one to play in, they never are when it’s finished like this, but we’ve got to get on the bus, dust ourselves down and stay upbeat. There were a lot of positives and we have to take those as well as work on our weaknesses.
“We’re still half a yard off. We’re building slowly and it’s taken us a while to get to where we are, but as the season is progressing, we’re getting better each week and we have to keep improving. We’ve got a big game next week, and in the Heineken Cup you’ve got to win your home games. This week we’ll go back to the drawing board, make sure everybody is up to speed and hopefully put in an 80 minute performance against Clermont Auvergne.”