In many respects, this campaign bears many of the hallmarks of last season for Glasgow Warriors, one that saw them go all the way in the United Rugby Championship.
Superb consistency to remain in the top two for the majority of the campaign, only to fall off with some patchy form late in the regular season to finish fourth. Now, as then, the Stormers lie in wait in the quarter-finals in what should be a belting showdown at Scotstoun.
Not many expected Glasgow to pick up the sort of steam they did in last year’s play-offs, sweeping aside the South African side at home before stunning wins away to Munster and the Bulls to take the title.
Even as defending champions, Warriors are once again viewed largely as outsiders behind the likes of Leinster, Bulls and the Sharks in the race to lift the trophy.
They have more recent experience of going the distance, however, and only a fool would write them off.
“We know the route, we know what it takes and what it took,” head coach Franco Smith told BBC Scotland.
“Now, how can we act on what we need to do now in the next 80 minutes? That’s the main focus.
“I think we buried that weight (of being champions) at the start of the season. We knew that if we put extra pressure on ourselves, that would burden us and it wouldn’t allow us to be the best version of ourselves.
“There’s eight teams left and to be one of those is obviously a compliment to what’s been done and the way we’ve worked.
“Now, to put our experience and also our game into overdrive to make sure that we perform the best at the back end of the season, that’s obviously the mission.”
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