But for the Highlanders, it was a time when real progress was made and it set up what was a successful season.
The side finished its eight-game Super Rugby Aotearoa season with a 38-21 win over the Hurricanes in an empty Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
That left the team fourth in the table with three wins, but with a dash of luck and composure it could have been double that.
Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger said there had been some good performances and courageous efforts and it was nice to finish that off with a win.
"The whole standard across the group has lifted, about how hard we train, how we prepare. That comes down to hard work. It is pretty simple at the end of the day. Put a lot of effort in, show up with good intent and you can have an impact on the game," Mauger said.
Going into the lockdown — and the Highlanders went earlier than most as they returned from overseas in March 17 straight into self-isolation — the players could have put their feet up and relaxed.
But hard work and a commitment to get better after a poor start to the season engendered a successful Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.
Mauger said the side knew it had to get better and did that, players working every day during lockdown.
"We have proved a lot of people wrong. We always knew it was in this group, just a matter of extracting it out of them. Right from the top down ... our younger guys have seen the examples and followed really well. In turn, they have been rewarded with better form and a bit more recognition of that."
It was hugely satisfying as a coach to see the progress.
"My job is to help set it up, create the conditions to learn and grow. I think the coaches have been outstanding, the whole support staff have put a lot of work in. And we have been rewarded with the performances.
"A lot has gone into it. We had a few hard conversations and created some real awareness around where we had to go through lockdown. I thought our leaders led that really well — what we wanted to see through isolation and what sort of men we wanted to see walk through that.
"We were fitter, running PBs on the first day back. That sort of created a buzz and it went from there.
"I think what isolation and what Covid taught us, was to be grateful and make the most of every day ... live for every day. I think our boys realised that and grew. It has been pretty cool to watch.
"It was a great way to finish. We created a lot of opportunities in that first half but just did not finish them off. Control was the message at halftime. [I] thought our control was excellent post-line break in the second half and we got rewarded."
Mauger said Aaron Smith had a massive influence on the game, along with Ash Dixon, but it had been a real team effort.