Matt Sherratt was thrilled to give the Arms Park faithful an unforgettable night in the capital as Cardiff strengthened their play-off hopes with a thrilling win over Munster.
The Blue & Blacks knew they had to triumph to keep alive realistic hopes of a top eight finish and after last week’s victory over the Ospreys, they were half-way towards the 10-point challenge Sherratt had set.
He spoke in the build up of the need for his side’s most complete performance of the season and they stepped up in front of a raucous 11,000 strong crowd.
Having seen an early Johan Mulder try ruled out, Cardiff battled from behind with tries from Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Harri Millard and one from the referee’s whistle.
And 15 minutes from the end Mulder sniped over for the decisive score.
With choruses of Cwm Rhondda, and Hymns and Arias reverberating around the old ground, Cardiff defended for their lives in the closing stages and held on for a crucial win.
There were euphoric scenes at full-time with an emotional Arms Park enjoying the last home game of the season.
Sherratt said: “It was brilliant, and probably more than we could have hoped for, if I’m honest.
“We spoke early in the week about it being the last home game and I think you guys have seen over the last two seasons, a test of any relationship is do people stick stick by you through thick and thin.
“Our supporters have done that in in spades. To give them that send off for this season was was massive for us.
“I think you could hear the crowd at the end there. That’s definitely giving the boys another five or 10% so I just thought it was a real good contest.”
Sherratt also pinpointed his side’s discipline and maturity in the encounter as they managed the game in the second-half and hung on at the death.
The victory sees the Blue & Blacks climb to fifth in the URC table with a tour to South Africa, and encounters against Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers, to come.
Sherratt added: “Discipline was always going to be massive in the second half, we controlled the field pretty well, I thought. But I thought was a real good contest as well. It was one of those games, if it would have carried on for another 10 minutes, that the lead could have swung either way.
“The team in sixth and a team in seventh, and that’s what it that’s what it looked like. It was end to end and blow for blow. Fortunately for us, on this occasion, we’ve come out on the right side of it.
“I thought that was real mature from them as well. It would have been really easy to get excited and play a lot of multi phaseout we talked pretty much about how good their contact area is, both sides of the ball, and it’s very difficult to stop them once they start going.
“So we didn’t want to play too many phases in the in the second half, and just when you need it, especially for our pack, who worked incredibly hard to see the ball 30 meters in front, 40 meters in front, and giving us a little bit of field position.
“It’s been a whirlwind couple of months. Just to enjoy the next couple of hours. We’ve got a song and a few beers in the changing room, and we’re off until Wednesday. So it’s taking a breath, enjoying it the next few days.
“The best part of being a rugby player is straight after the game, after a hard week’s training, after a win. That’s probably what you do it all for. So it’s enjoying that, and then going to South Africa.
“We didn’t want tonight to define our season. We have kept ourselves in the race, we’ll get to South Africa and we need to pick up points.”