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MARATHON man Josh Griffiths did the honours beforehand by presenting the match ball, then sat back and watched the Ospreys all but make it over the line in the race to make the Guinness Pro12 play-offs.

Griffiths was the first British athlete home in London’s 26-mile endurance test last Sunday.

Some had suggested priot to the game that the Ospreys might have required inspiration from his mate Matthew Rees, who memorably assisted a jelly-legged runner in the final stages of the race last weekend.

In the event, that wasn’t the case as Steve Tandy’s team got the job done with a gritty effort at the Liberty Stadium. It was a fine show from the Welsh region.

League defeats by Treviso, Leinster and Cardiff Blues had left them desperately needing to down Ulster, one of their rivals for a play-off spot.

And they rose to the challenge superbly.

It was as if someone had found a book lying around at their training base entitled How to Win Rugby Matches. It had been evidently been missing since the last week in March, when Tandy’s men succumbed meekly in Treviso, a loss that prompted the rot to set in rapidly and alarmingly.

But all was well in Tandy’s world as his side ran in tries through Tom Habberfield, Tyler Ardron and Brendon Leonard and denied Ulster a losing bonus point.

It means only a mathematical fluke will keep them out of the knockout matches. They would have to implode against the Scarlets, while Ulster would have to spank Leinster. Let’s just say Ulster are not banking on anything.

Robin McBryde was in the main stand, casting his eye over candidates for Wales’s South Seas tour this summer.

His attention in the opening half would have been drawn to a number of Ospreys backs, in particular.

Keelan Giles is known more for his attacking play, but after being outjumped early by Charles Piutau in the first seconds he set about closing the former All Blacks with impressively tenacious tackling.

Every time Ulster’s celebrated wing had the ball he found Giles either in his face or around his ankles.

Ashley Beck also caught the eye.