Allen Clarke has admitted his Ospreys team were simply not up to the mark as realistic Welsh interest in the knockout stages of European rugby came to an end.
The Ospreys head coach watched his side stumble to a 20-18 home defeat to a Worcester team that showed 13 changes to their regular Gallagher Premiership side.
It means the region need a mathematical miracle to make the last eight of the European Challenge Cup, while the Dragons had long since ruled out that possibility.
With the Scarlets finding no success in the first four rounds of the top tier Heineken Champions Cup before this weekend’s 33-10 victory over Leicester, and the Cardiff Blues fading badly after a promising start, the quarter-finals of both competitions are going to be a Wales-free zone – again.
Last season’s march by the Scarlets to the semi-finals and the Blues’ dramatic triumph in the Challenge Cup final are already looking like blips in history, rather than the start of a new trend.
“We had quality and experienced players on the field, but as a team we weren’t good enough,” said Clarke after the Ospreys had let slip a 15-7 lead.
“I am really disappointed with that result. The game was there in our control and we let it slip in the second half. We have to look at ourselves in that regard.”
Clarke, however, slightly gave the game away when he rebuffed suggestions that going out in Europe was a significant blow to their season.
Having rested players for the away fixtures, he added: “In the context of this competition, it’s a blow. There’s no doubt about that. But not to our season as a whole.
“It feels frustrating, because emotionally, we were off it.”
Clarke may even rest more players for the final match of the pool stages away to Pau next weekend.
A bonus-point victory and a series of unlikely results elsewhere may yet hand the Ospreys a qualification lifeline, but the Ulsterman intends to ponder the likelihood of that happening before deciding who to select.
“I will have a look at the group standings. If there is an opportunity to go through then we will pick the selection accordingly.”
A last-gasp Ryan Mills drop goal put Worcester into their first European quarter-final since 2009 as they stunned the Ospreys.
The Welsh region thought they had done enough to seal the win when replacement outside-half Sam Davies nailed a penalty five minutes from time.
But up stepped Mills with a stunning strike off his right boot from 30 metres out to put Ospreys on the brink of elimination.
Tries from Jonny Arr, Ollie Lawrence and Dean Hammond plus five points from the boots of Scott Van Breda and Mills was enough to secure the win.
Warriors head coach Rory Duncan said: “It was a rather stressful last couple of minutes but the guys kept their composure really well and managed the game correctly.
“With about four minutes to go we had a ball down in our 22 we didn’t try to play out of our half.
“The guys kicked the contestables, had confidence in the system and obviously ended up with the benefits and the rewards in the end.
He also had praise for his match-winner Mills and that deadly drop goal.
“I had a chat to Millsy after the game and apparently when he did the drop it caught one of their hands which I think is why it looked a little bit wavy in the air.
“He said it almost drifted outside the posts and came back in, so it is nice to have a bit of good fortune on the side of the Warriors this weekend.”
