Leigh Halfpenny helped kick Scarlets to their first European Champions Cup semi-final in 11 years and then the Wales full-back admitted he and his teammates are ready to take on all comers.
Halfpenny was a key cog for Wales these past two months as they claimed a second-place finish in the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations.
Click here for the final standings in the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations
But the British & Irish Lion returned to club duty with aplomb – tallying a 19-point personal haul as they downed La Rochelle at a packed Parc y Scarlets on Good Friday in the quarter-finals.
And the 29-year-old is already preparing to take on the winner of Sunday’s clash between Leinster and Saracens.
“If we want to win this competition like we are setting out to do, we have to beat the best,” he said.
“Leinster and Saracens are both quality sides. It is what this competition is about, playing the best teams.
“We will celebrate this hard-earned victory and then prepare for what is a massive game for us as players, supporters and coaches.
“It is a pretty special feeling. It is a huge occasion for this club and to win a quarter-final at home in front of this amazing crowd, a packed house was a hell of a feeling.
“It is huge. There has been a lot of hard work out in over the years and we delivered when it mattered.
“There were times when we were under pressure but the character of the boys showed to hold them out and go back down there to score was outstanding.
“To go around the pitch with all of the boys after the game and do a lap in front of a packed house was amazing.”
And Halfpenny’s teammates for both Wales, the Scarlets and the Lions this past summer Ken Owens was full of praise for his teammate.
“His kicking ability is the best in the world,” said Owens.
“We knew if we put them under pressure we are going to get penalties and had the right man to bang them over.” Owens added: “It was the biggest game and greatest moment of my club career so far,” said Owens.
“I was involved in the 2007 side and it has taken 11 years to get back to that stage.
“It has been a barren 11 years. In west Wales you are judged on Europe and this side have proved we can do it in this competition.
“The atmosphere was fantastic and to have just shy of 16,000 was amazing.”
