There will be relief and pride in Swansea after the Ospreys’ successful St Helen’s homecoming.
The 24 October return to the famous ground – still undergoing redevelopment – looked ambitious when the URC fixture list was announced.
But Ospreys delivered off the field despite the horrendous weather, and then on it in front of 5,592 supporters against Dragons.
“There was a lot of pressure on the boys around the whole occasion. You only get one chance to make a first impression,” said head coach Jones.
“It was a proper Ospreys performance and it needed to be in those conditions.
“It wasn’t just a win, it was a really good performance because there was a lot of high-quality skill in there, some good defensive work and our set-piece shone through. The effort was class.”
Those looking for faults at the revamped home would have been nit-picking.
A remarkable amount of work has already gone into the makeover in a short space of time and there is still plenty to do as Ospreys steadily improve the facility.
“I played here growing up in finals, with schools and playing for Swansea as well,” said Wales wing Keelan Giles.
“I’d never played in front of a crowd that big here. It was a great night, a great experience and it’s class to be here again.
“They’ve done an amazing job and the atmosphere was top notch.”
More jobs will be ticked off in the coming week for the visit of Cardiff, when a win would put Ospreys in good shape given the travel demands of the first block.
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