Danny Wilson paid tribute to his Cardiff Blues side for the battering they gave the Ospreys in their 35-17 derby demolition at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
The Blues coach saw his team score five tries but it was the bullying nature of their first victory over their rivals for seven years that really impressed him.
“We were certainly the more physical of the two sides,” said Wilson.
“Derbies are won on physicality, we turned up with the right attitude and also knew that as the Ospreys start very well, it was important we did that to them.
“You have to be physical at the contact area, your carrying game and obviously in defence, and the boys really produced some physicality that the Ospreys struggled to match.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the Ospreys do that to the Blues and it was nice to turn that around.
“We have boys who are very good on the ball, we want a quick tackle, get over the ball and turn it over. We did that a number of times today, Ellis Jenkins were outstanding and Nick Williams and Josh Navidi were very close behind him.
“The forward pack really provided a platform and we all know when we have our best players on the pitch we can go against anybody.”
The Blues derailed Ospreys’ title challenge with first-half tries from Kristian Dacey, Lloyd Williams and Nick Williams.
The damage was completed when prop Taufa’ao Filise crashed over and Gareth Anscombe got in on the act, before Dan Evans and Paul James crossed in the final 20 minutes to spark a late revival.
The Ospreys now have to win their two remaining games against Ulster and Scarlets to ensure they finish in the top-four.
Ospreys coach Steve Tandy admitted: “I did not think we showed enough fight or desire.
“At half-time you could one or two [of the players] were feeling sorry for themselves which was represented in the first ten minutes of the second-half which do you do not see to many times in Ospreys changing rooms if I am brutally honest”
“There were opportunities when the game was dead and buried to get the four tries [and a bonus point] which would have been little comfort.
“We have to do some soul searching in and around what and where we can put things right.”
The Blues, who are chasing a European Champions Cup play-off spot, were in front after eight minutes after the Ospreys’ defence looked to have dealt with a promising rolling maul, but hooker Dacey peeled off at the back and snuck in at the corner.
Anscombe’s touchline conversion kissed the post and dropped wide, but touch judges Sean Gallagher and Gwyn Morris ruled it went over to give the Blues a 7-0 lead.
Sam Davies got the Ospreys on the scoreboard with a penalty, but they were further behind after 20 minutes.
Wilson’s side got straight back down into Ospreys territory and went close through Rey Lee-Lo before scrum-half Williams spotted an inch of space and dotted the ball down on the line.
Anscombe kicked this conversion straight between the uprights, and he was teeing up another conversion seven minutes later when Nick Williams used brute force to barge his way over from close range.
Anscombe made it three kicks from three to make it 21-3 before Alex Cuthbert was sin-binned for taking Evans out in the air, but they failed to make their man advantage count before half-time.
It was to get even better for the capital region when tighthead Filise, who turns 40 next month, powered over the line for the bonus-point try – his first since 2011.
Kiwi outside-half Anscombe added the extras once again, before getting in on the try-scoring action.
He beat Wales No.10 rival Sam Davies to a Willis Halaholo kick to collect the ball and dive over, before converting to take the Blues 32 points clear.
Ospreys finally scored a try of their own through Evans after 62 minutes and James continued the revival when he powered over five minutes later, but it was too little, too late.
