Waikato couldn't get their revenge on Otago to bring the Ranfurly Shield back to Hamilton in their Mitre 10 Cup rugby clash on Sunday, but despite the loss, some noticeable improvements and a heart refusing to give up should please all involved.
The phrase "I was glad with the amount of heart the lads put in today" is often used by rugby coaches, but it's no truer said than for Waikato after they put in a difficult shift and never gave up the fight.
That's in stark contrast to previous weeks where it often felt like Waikato had given up the ghost, even in positions more favorable than the ones on Sunday, so reducing the margin to a respectable 45-35 will please - all things considered.
But in the end, it's another loss, and whilst Waikato's hopes for Premiership glory aren't all over, there won't be another shot at the Ranfurly Shield in 2019 and that's the big missed opportunity considering how dangerous Waikato looked in parts before the errors in judgement.
Their mixture of good and bad on a track destined for exciting, running rugby at Forsyth Barr in Dunedin, in conditions that suited their exciting ball runners and the game you sense Waikato have wanted to play, wasn't just in the areas you'd expect either.