In front of a bumper Boxing Day crowd of over 12,000 at Parc y Scarlets, it would be the Ospreys who would show the greater hunger and fight combined with a more clinical edge to their play.
Scarlets, despite starting the stronger of the two sides, would be behind at the break 14-7 courtesy of tries from Owen Watkin and Dewi Lake. A Joe Roberts score just before the interval would keep the West Wallians in touch, but Dwayne Peel’s side would always be chasing the game and counting the cost of errors.
Keiran Hardy and Iestyn Hopkins scored for the Ospreys to earn an attacking bonus point either side of Roberts’ second, before Jarrod Taylor bundled over in stoppage-time to leave Scarlets with a losing point.
For Jones, it would be the heart and the desire off the ball in his side’s display that would prove to be the difference on the night.
“I’m really pleased for the boys,” said Jones after the game.
“We’ve put an awful lot of work into the early part of the season and haven’t always had the rewards on the scoreboard without getting the results.
“But the commitment of the group has been ever present in training and in game.
“We didn’t play our best today, particularly with the ball but without it, that was our best defensive performance.
“The defence represents the heart of the team, and the boys did a tremendous job double-tackling and counter-rucking – the care for each other was big.
“People don’t appreciate sometimes how big that is. Skills and talent are important, but care is the most important thing when it comes to derbies.
“There are teams that can defend an onslaught, but there are not many that can then go up the other end then and convert.
“We didn’t convert last week, and it cost us, but this week we did and it has turned out to be a deciding factor.
“Credit to the players and the coaches to focusing on what is important.
“We know we can play better and will play better. The most important thing was showing who we are as characters and winning – we did both those things.”
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
