A season of what might have been

It somehow feels harsh that for all their brilliance this season, Glasgow end the campaign empty-handed.

Trophies are earned at the business end of the season, however, and Warriors have come up short in the games that mattered most.

The defeat to the Bulls bore many of the hallmarks of the Champions Cup quarter-final defeat to Toulon.

On both occasions the visitors did not do anything spectacular to win, but ground Glasgow down and took enough chances to get the job done.

Horne loss hits hard

George Horne failing a late fitness test having been named in the starting team was a huge blow.

The wee scrum-half is so vital to how Glasgow want to play, and as well as his electric tempo, his leadership in big games is not to be underestimated.

It's no coincidence that Warriors have lost the big games Horne has been absent for this season.

Jamie Dobie had a good first half on his return from injury, but like the rest of the side, struggled to exert any influence after the break as the Bulls came storming back. Horne's absence was keenly felt.

Has Glasgow's big chance slipped away?

Franco Smith's side did so much terrific work to lay the foundations for a truly special season.

Securing a home run in the play-offs of both the URC and the Champions Cup presented a massive opportunity to reach heights no Scottish side has done before.

That opportunity has been squandered and with a host of big names - including Huw Jones, Jack Dempsey and Adam Hastings - leaving this summer, it may well be Glasgow never have a better chance of fighting right to the end of both competitions.

That being said, we were saying similar things at the start of the season following the departures of Tom Jordan, Seb Cancelliere and Henco Venter last summer, but it feels like Smith has a big job for Glasgow to tool up and go again next season.