It was hard to escape the feeling that, for the Ospreys, winning the Welsh Shield last year was a bit of an empty triumph.
Granted, finishing as the highest-placed Welsh side is something to enjoy, but when all of the Welsh sides end up in the bottom half of the table, that Shield ultimately doesn't amount to a lot more than bragging rights. It's tinged with the sense that they missed out in the bigger picture - the play-offs.
However, the late-season form that brought them the Shield did at least provide some hope that they could make the next step this season. For Toby Booth and his squad, the play-offs was that next step.
