Rhys Webb has vowed to do a huge favour for the Scarlets next week in the hope of gaining a helping hand for the Ospreys in return.
The Wales scrum-half scored two typical dagger-thrust tries for his region as they beat the Cardiff Blues 40-27 on Saturday in the first of the Judgement Day matches at the Principality Stadium.
The Scarlets followed that by easing past the Newport Gwent Dragons 34-20 in a match that was only half as good as the first, but equally as important.
The upshot is that the Scarlets and the Ospreys are now reliant on the other to aid their cause on the final weekend of the Guinness Pro 12 season.
If the Ospreys beat Ulster at the Liberty Stadium, then the Scarlets can make the play-offs if they win away at Munster.
By winning in Ireland, the Scarlets can return the favour as that result, plus the defeat of Ulster, would put the Ospreys into next season’s European Champions Cup – alongside the Scarlets.
Webb – who missed the World Cup and half the Six Nations through injury – said: “We knew we wanted to win, score four tries and be positive. We wanted to go out there and express ourselves.
“We don’t really want to be where we are, but we certainly haven’t given up hope, yet. We have one game left and we will give it everything. Hopefully, other results may go our way.
“I feel in good nick and I’m enjoying my rugby after my injury. But I am not looking towards the Wales tour to New Zealand at all at the moment. I am only thinking about the Ospreys. We have got one game left and whatever happens will happen.”
The Ospreys trailed 17-7 and then 27-26 with just six minutes left of the first match in front of 65,000 fans in Cardiff.
But Webb then blew the Blues away with two sniper’s tries from close range in a devastating four-minute burst.
It left the Blues stunned and ended their own thin hopes of Champions Cup qualification. They have now failed to beat their big rivals in 10 derby matches, a run that stretches back almost six years.
To add injury to insult, the Blues also lost Wales skipper Sam Warburton with a shoulder injury that will provoke worry for national coach Warren Gatland ahead of this summer’s tour to New Zealand.
Blues coach Danny Wilson said: “I don’t think it’s particularly bad, but it’s something that will need assessing.
“He tried to play on, but he was in too much pain and struggled, so obviously the right decision was for him to come off.”
Webb’s two tries were equalled by teammate Hanno Dirksen with others for Sam Underhill and James King, while Aled Summerhill and Josh Navidi crossed for the Blues.
Reflecting on his team’s defeat, which saw them twice let a lead slip after the break and concede six tries in all, Wilson added: “It’s a game we could have won.
“I thought we controlled the first hour of the game, we controlled the contact area and pieced together some decent attack.
“Ultimately it’s come down to what we’ve conceded. We’ve conceded three very soft tries.”
The Ospreys lengthy sick list was extended, with second row Adam Beard and two-try wing Dirksen both picking up lower limb injuries, with Beard taken to hospital after being stretchered off.
A try for Wales centre Scott Williams on his return from injury helped the Scarlets to victory over the Dragons.
The win secured the Scarlets’ own Champions Cup qualification, but they must beat Munster next week and hope the Ospreys win against Ulster in order to make the Pro 12 play-offs.
For the Dragons, this was their ninth league defeat in a row as they failed to bounce back from their European Challenge Cup semi-final heartache away in Montpellier.
It is now three months since the Dragons last won a game in the Pro 12.