Lewis was outstanding as his side ran out 10-6 winners in Llanelli in his maiden West Wales derby, with his ability to win turnover ball or slow down opposition possession at ruck time causing the Scarlets no end of problems.
The battle continues at the Liberty Stadium on Friday night, with 23-year-old Lewis hoping for a similar outcome as Steve Tandy’s side look to cement their spot in the play-off place.
“I loved every minute of it. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like that before personally,” Lewis, who wore the No7 shirt at Parc-y-Scarlets having been predominantly employed on the blindside flank in recent weeks, told the Ospreys website.
“It’s the first Scarlets derby I’ve been involved in, and I was very proud to be a part of the squad. It was a very tough game and I’m just glad that we were able to get that ‘W’.
“Hopefully we can improve on the Boxing Day performance this week and get another important win. It looks as though there’s going to be another big crowd at the Liberty which is excellent news. With a big crowd, we can use that to egg us on.
“It’s going to be another physical encounter. Looking back at the footage I’ve seen how physical it was. When you are in the heat of the battle I don’t think you appreciate how physical it is, I’d say it’s only afterwards when you are reviewing the game you can appreciate it. You count up the hits and realise how tough it was.”
It’s not just the young players who experience an extra buzz from the derby day encounters, either, with Wales and British & Irish Lions second row Alun Wyn Jones insisting that something special lies in wait again this week.
“These are the types of games that everybody looks forward to, players, coaches and supporters, and it’s going to be great to see a big crowd at the Liberty,” added Jones.
“This time of year is all about local derbies and traditional rivalries. We’ve been a part of two tough, close games, against the Blues and Scarlets, and we’ve been fortunate enough to get the results we wanted.
“Performances haven’t been perfect, far from it, but the character and spirit we’ve shown as a group has been very satisfying and has allowed us to pick up two wins away from home.
“Now we are coming back to the Liberty, we’re up against the Scarlets, and there’s a big crowd guaranteed, so there’s a real buzz about the place.”
