As his Scarlets team-mate revelled in a stunning victory over a Springbok-laden Sharks, captain Josh Macleod seemed almost affronted pitchside that few had predicted a win for the west Walians.
"Never write this team off," he said. "We're building something really special with this coaching team."
That victory was their ninth in 11 matches since the start of December. That was then followed up by victory over Brive in the Challenge Cup round of 16 last weekend.
This Friday, Dwayne Peel's side take on Clermont in the quarter-final - intent on keeping this turnaround going by booking their place in the last four. It's a huge swing considering that the pressure was building on Peel towards the end of 2022.
Clearly, those involved feel something is brewing down west - with Macleod not being the only one subscribing to that notion.
Young loose-head Kemsley Mathias has been a constant in the side since December, starting 10 of the last 12 matches. He also recognises how a corner has been turned.
"I think from December onwards, we've seen a shift in confidence and how boys are performing," said Mathias. "I don't know if we can put a finger on it, but it's just being more confident on the pitch.
"The boys are backing each other, we're playing expansive rugby. There's less issues with discipline, as that was a big error at the start of the season.
"The boys are enjoying playing for one another. There's fight for one another. Those are the key things Josh was speaking about. We can just see there's a bit of a shift."
Crucially, he says, the message from Peel has remained constant throughout. Mathias adds: "He's been sticking to what he thought would work and now it has come to fruition. It's just trusting the process and maybe it took five or six games to get into our shape and our game."
Peel would agree with that assessment. Nothing has massively changed other than the results and the confidence that brings.
"I get asked this question a lot," said the former Wales scrum-half. "The reality is that nothing has really changed.
"We've worked hard on our game throughout the year. You lose games sometimes. Start of the year, we were losing seven-point games and it was tough. But it's just down to hard work.
"The boys are working hard and they deserve what they're getting at the minute. It's not really anything that we've done differently."
Of course, dig a little deeper and you'll notice minor changes. For a start, the new coaching ticket has clearly got its feet under the table.
Former Wales assistant coach Gareth Williams took on the defensive duties at Parc y Scarlets last summer, while former Wasps head coach Lee Blackett has been presiding over the attack since November. The pair have clearly made an impact on either side of the ball.
In particular, Williams' work has started to bear fruit in defence, with the Scarlets showing plenty of resolve in recent weeks after some horror shows last year.
"System-wise, I think defensively is an area where we've really stepped up over the last couple of months," added Peel. "It's an area the boys are enjoying at the minute.
"They're enjoying fighting for each other in defence. That's an area you can pinpoint there's been a big shift where we've improved significantly."
That was demonstrated by the efforts in the final seconds of the victory over the Sharks. Assured of victory with a 12-point lead, the Scarlets players still work hard on their own line.
Despite conceding the initial line break, their forwards get back into the defensive line, stopping the threat of the one-out runner. That forces the Sharks to fling a miracle ball out to the wing, with Ryan Conbeer doing a good job of corner-flagging Thaakir Abrahams to deny him a try.
That defensive work was also typified in the win over Brive. In awful conditions, the Scarlets largely managed to shut out their French opponents throughout.
On the other side of the ball, the Scarlets remain dangerous thanks to a handful of key threats. Young Wales fly-half Sam Costelow has been crucial in pulling the strings of the backline, bringing a genuine triple-threat of running, passing and kicking to the backline.
The first try he created for Steff Evans against the Sharks comes from his ability to thrive in extended plays. Getting the ball back from Sam Lousi, he lofts a pass out to Vaea Fifita.
The lock then gives it inside to Evans to score, but Costelow follows his pass and is on Evans' shoulder had he decided to draw the final man rather than step inside.
Costelow is running the show at a tender age, but he's helped by a supporting cast of in-form players. Steff Evans is back to his 2017 levels, while Ryan Conbeer, Tom Rogers, Leigh Halfpenny and the injured Johnny McNicholl have all shone in the back-three.
Then there's the midfield. The return of Johnny Williams has been huge, with the Wales centre offering a hard-carrying presence at inside centre in recent matches.
With Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams injured, the likes of Ioan Nicholas and Joe Roberts have stepped up - with the latter starting the last nine matches. Be it Roberts or Mathias, the number of young players who have stepped up to the plate has been huge for Peel.
"There's no doubt they've brought an energy to things with their youthfulness," said Peel. "But also they're good players.
"They're getting better and they feel comfortable in the environment. Joe wasn't fit at the start of the season, so it's been a long wait for him. He's come back now and he's playing as many games as he can. He's more comfortable.
"The likes of Ioan Nicholas, Kemsley, Sam Wainwright and Dan Davis all stepping up and playing well. It's just time in the saddle for these guys. They're starting to look comfortable in the jersey. They're playing well and it's good for us to see those guys.
"We beat the Sharks last week and I think 18 of the 23 were academy products. It's good to see those young boys get the opportunity and thriving."
Another crucial component of the backline has been the return to form for Gareth Davies. The Wales scrum-half has impressed recently, with the Scarlets showing some smart subtleties to create opportunities for him as a running threat.
The backline has clearly been on fire, with 31 of their last 44 tries coming from the backs division. But the pack has pulled its weight too - with both scores against Brive coming from up front.
There's been plenty of positives in the pack, with solid performances from the likes of Shaun Evans, Aaron Shingler, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Davis, Mathias and Macleod. But the names that really steal the headlines are Vaea Fifita, Sam Lousi and Sione Kalamafoni.
Of the 13 tries scored by forwards since the start of December, they've accounted for eight of them. Quite simply, they've been crucial.
"It's good having those boys there," said Mathias. "They're world-class players and they make my job a lot easier.
"Sometimes I just follow and do my role for the team and that's what's needed from me. I just let them shine! It's been good."
Naturally, with players of that quality, there's an element of just allowing them to play what is in front of them, as Fifita alluded to after his stunning solo try against Brive.
But working opportunities for them to work in tandem is something the Scarlets have done well recently. Fifita's try against Munster came from the trio working in unison around a ruck from first phase, throwing their three biggest carrying threats into a pod and targeting the lack of a fold from Munster with a well-timed inside pass.
Unfortunately, the Scarlets will be losing Kalamafoni at the end of the season, but the longer they can keep hold of Lousi and Fifita, the better. At this point, more than a few Scarlets fans just feel privileged to watch them.
There's not been a lot to shout about in Welsh rugby recently, with the shrinking budgets moving forward set to make the future about surviving, rather than thriving.
That makes it very hard to hold any form of optimism moving forward. But the recent form of the Scarlets, providing they can keep hold of the building blocks behind this turnaround, is something to be buoyed by.
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