John Mulvihill was pleased to see Cardiff Blues battle from behind to snatch victory over Toyota Cheetahs but knows there is room for improvement.
The Blues trailed by 11-points as the final quarter approached and following three last-gasp defeats at the beginning of the season there were some nervous faces among the Arms Park crowd.
But the home side kept their composure and claimed tries from Lloyd Williams and Olly Robinson, to add to Rey Lee-Lo’s first-half effort and secure back-to-back wins.
Mulvihill was disappointed with elements of his side’s performance but insists the only thing that mattered was victory.
He said: “The performance wasn’t good enough but the result was great for us.
“Tonight was really important. We sat down as a coaching group on Monday and said this was an absolute must-win for us. We had to win to stay in touch and if we didn’t win it could have been a bridge too far, too early.
“We got the win and that was the most important thing. I said earlier that in the year there will be times I’m not going to be happy after a game when we win and I think our first-half performance was pretty individual and not team orientated.
“If you let any team get momentum you will get hurt. We built the pressure and got our momentum going in the second-half and if we stick together as a team and not a bunch of individuals then we will win.
“We were sixth in the pool and at the moment, before the other games, we’re sitting second. That’s how tight it is and I expect by the end of the weekend we will be top four and hopefully the following weekend we can move up a little bit more.”
Mulvihill reserved special praise for the replacements, who each made a significant impact off the bench, particularly Williams, who sniped over for a crucial try.
He continued: “I was proud of the bench that came on, I was proud of the way we finished them off – that was the first time we have gone behind any time this season and gone onto win so you can take the positives from that.
“The boys coming on was a momentum changer. The boys in the front-row – Brad Thyer, Kirby Myhill and Dillon Lewis – were awesome and that’s the lift you need. I don’t think we’ve had that previously. Macauley Cook was also really disciplined and he added some grunt when he came on.”
Cardiff Blues go on the road next week for the first Welsh derby of the season – the Dragons at Rodney Parade.
They then kick-off their Heineken Champions cup campaign away to Lyon before returning to face Glasgow Warriors at the Arms Park on Sunday, October 21.
Tickets are available now and can be purchased by clicking here or calling 029 20 302030.