Scarlets boss Nigel Davies hailed his side’s ‘massive’ achievement in winning at London Irish but warned them not to take qualification for the knockout stages for granted.
The win sees the Scarlets top their Heineken Cup pool with a 100-percent record but Davies insists they still have it all do if they are to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007.
“I thought we were superb,” said Davies, whose side went into Saturday’s game as substantial underdogs.
“It was a huge challenge and we stepped up to it. It’s a massive win for us but it’s still a very tough pool with everything to play for.
“We’ve got a huge game next up against Leinster at home and then away the week after so there’s a long, long way to go. But we’re in a very strong position and that will give us a lot of confidence going into the next series of games.
“I know the heartbreak of European rugby, though. We have to be very mindful that, although this is hugely positive step for us, it will be a step back if we don’t take advantage of it.”
And while few outside the region expected the Scarlets to shock last season’s Guinness Premiership Finalists on their own patch, Davies always knew his side could return home with a win, even when an interception try threatened to rob them of victory with just 12 minutes left.
“All bar one of the performances before this have been very positive for us in terms of how we’re building our game and I always thought that this was in us,” added Davies.
“I think the players themselves felt they were on top when Irish scored. It was obviously a blow for us but it was key that we kept going as we were still in the game. We did that, and if you’re able to keep in matches, you’ve got a chance of winning them.
“We were controlling large parts of the game and we just had to believe in ourselves and show the tenacity that we did. We haven’t always had that but we showed that quality when we needed it.”
