The only way for Otago at the start of the season was up.
After a disappointing second-last placing in the Championship last year, the side had to get better this year and return to the playoffs.
It did exactly that, making it into the semifinals of the ITM Cup championship before dipping out to Wellington last Saturday.
It was always going to be tough to win the Championship.
Wellington is one of the heavies of the provincial scene while Hawkes Bay has the money and player depth to be very competitive in the division.
Otago though can hold its head up high coming through a rugged opening to the season to score some fabulous tries and put on some memorable performances in placing third in the Championship or 10th overall.
It had a very tough draw.
The four Premiership teams in the first six games along with Hawkes Bay and Wellington meant the side was behind the 8-ball straight away.
With that it was never going to be fast out of the blocks.
The Blue and Golds may have only won one of their first five games but came flying home, winning five in a row before the semifinal last weekend.
That five-match winning streak was based on a solid and error-free effort from the tight five, loose forwards who supported the ball carrier and ran the ball up well and backs who made the most of possession and scored some great tries.
The importance of hooker and skipper Liam Coltman and lock Tom Franklin cannot be overlooked.
Their Super rugby experience and ability was clear for all to see.
Props Hisa Sasagi and the returning Craig Millar also played well, Sasagi making real progress this year.
Lock Blair Tweed came from nowhere and was a steady player who did most things right in the engine room.
Players of his ilk are too often overlooked but he was a solid performer who made few mistakes.
Loose forward Naulia Dawai scored plenty of tries and went from being a bit-part player to a first-choice player.
He is deceptively quick and got well involved in the game.
The backs then grew as the season went on and were good at running into holes and making the most of any half chance.
At the start of the season, there were worries too many of the backs were the same - good solid players who could do most things but lacked that X-factor.
But some of the backs came to the fore.
Halfback Josh Renton grew and linked well.
First five-eighth Peter Breen worked hard and had a purple patch when scoring 50 points in two games.
Centre Matt Faddes made real strides and was a leading player in the competition with line breaks, and tries scored.
Winger Jack Wilson looked strong while Michael Collins was solid on both defence and attack.
OTAGO 2015
Played 11, won six, lost five, points for 374, points against 348
Leading points scorers: Peter Breen 84 points (2 tries, 19 con, 11 pen, 1 d-goal), Fletcher Smith 65 points (2 tries, 14 con, 9 pen)
Leading try-scorers: Naulia Dawai 7, Matt Faddes 6, James Lentjes 5
Best performance: Beat Southland 61-7. A whirlwind of attack simply blew the Southlanders out of the water with a record winning margin over the men from south of the border.
Worst performance: lost to Tasman 34-17. Otago conceded a try in the opening minute and made too many mistakes to ever threaten a Tasman team which barley got out of second gear.
Good performers
Tom Franklin: A key man in the lineout and stood out when he returned to the team. A reliable player who could go a long way.
Naulia Dawai: Surprised many with his skill and speed. Got round the park and made some big runs. Improved his ball-handling from last year
Matt Faddes: Has been floating around the scene for a while but this was his year. Coming off the back of an impressive club season, sparked at centre, breaking the line, and scored some fine tries.
Three keys for 2016
1 Keep improving: A team that rests on its laurels gets passed. The team must get better and players improve.
2 Win against the Premiership sides: Beating the Aucklands and Canterburys of this world is never easy. Auckland was so nearly beaten this year and the side needs to go to the next level to get up to the Premiership.
3 Get some luck: From referees to draws to All Black availability, every team needs a slice of good fortune. You make your own luck but sometimes it helps getting it given to you.
