Fans leaving Parc y Scarlets on Saturday night might have felt a little short-changed, such was the lack of entertainment value that came within the 16-10 Welsh derby victory for Cardiff.
Supporters from the capital city might have had the blow softened by a win, no matter how ugly it was, such was the importance of ending up on the right side of the ledger given the events of the last seven days.
But, on the whole, this much-awaited 80 minutes proved to be a drab affair that failed to capture the imagination.
READ MORE: Fresh autumn injury blow for Pivac as in-form centre ruled out
One man in the stands who will have hopefully taken a little bit more out of the whole experience was Wales boss Wayne Pivac, a regular attendee of URC matches throughout his tenure with the national side.
Earlier this week, Scarlets and Wales wing Johnny McNicholl talked up the important of individual duels within Welsh derbies with the Wales autumn squad announcement just 10 days away.
So what did Pivac learn as that opening November showdown with New Zealand looms?
Tomos Williams is his form scrum-half
The scrum-half tombola that Pivac has been operating throughout the last few years really isn't conducive to playing consistent rugby. In his defence, the constant rotation hasn't always been his fault. Injuries have played a part and none of the candidates have taken the jersey and run with it.
Kieran Hardy had the shirt in South Africa but has been playing second fiddle to Gareth Davies at Parc y Scarlets in the early part of the season, while Tomos Williams has been starting for Cardiff.
Davies, who was unused in South Africa this summer, had a night to forget opposite Williams in the derby. It was a ponderous performance that was topped off by inaccurate kicking and those mistakes will not go unnoticed.
Williams, meanwhile, was one of the only sparks and help create his first half try out of nothing. It was a noteworthy performance and will serve him well in the coming month or so.
"I think he's been outstanding," Cardiff Director of Rugby David Young said of Williams. "He's really fit, he's really knuckled down with his conditioning.
"We get questioned about leaders and we haven't got that many natural leaders but I think Tomos has really stood up this year and taken much more of a leadership role. He's growing with that and I thought he had an excellent performance."
Ken is ready if called upon
In truth, Ken Owens shouldn't really be in consideration for the upcoming autumn campaign, having spent a year out with a back injury that, at one point, appeared career threatening.
Wales also have plenty of depth in the position, with Ryan Elias and Dewi Lake seemingly battling it out for the No.2 jersey in Owens' absence. But, should Pivac deem it necessary to draft in a man of his experience, then there are few doubts that the Scarlets talisman will be ready.
Sure, there have only been two appearances off the bench that we have to judge him on, but I've already seen enough. He made a noticeable difference when he came on the field on Saturday night and was namechecked by opposing captain Josh Turnbull after the match for carrying hard.
He looked like he'd never been away. He has been described as the emotional heartbeat of the teams in which he plays and there is no doubt that he would add to Pivac's arsenal should he get the call.
Carre can cut it
The Welsh management have high hopes for Rhys Carre because he fits the mould of a modern prop. He is the perfect blend of power and athleticism that the modern game requires of front row forwards. Gone are the days of simply bending over and pushing.
Question marks levelled at Carre have revolved around his conditioning but he appears to be trending in the right direction and that is exciting.
The scrum was not an issue at all on Saturday night and he provided a rare linebreak in Llanelli before offloading to Williams for the scrum-half's try. That is his point of difference and his work in the tight is improving.
With Gareth Thomas only recently returning from injury and Wyn Jones still not starting, Carre's showing will have been noticed by Pivac.
Don't worry about Willis
For the first time this season, we saw Willis Halaholo from the start of a match as he lined up in Cardiff's midfield opposite Jonathan Davies, a rival for a spot in the Wales squad.
If you were marking the two, then you'd have to give Halaholo the higher mark. It was by no means a sparkling performance from the hot-stepping centre but there were some noteworthy moments.
There was a powerful run in the first half that sent Leigh Halfpenny cartwheeling backwards - no mean feat. And there were a handful of times when you could see he was just putting an element of doubt in the minds of defenders in red jerseys.
Those split seconds are crucial and create space for other players. Halaholo looks primed to really start finding some form after his cameos from the bench.
He had more successful carries, more line breaks, more defenders beaten and more metres made than any of his team-mates.
"We know he's got magic feet and he can obviously open opportunities up that don't look like they're there," said Young.
"He's also got the physical attributes as well."
With news that Johnny Williams is going to miss the autumn with a calf injury, Halaholo may well be targeting a return to the international set-up.
A forgotten man
If it is one place Pivac does not have to worry himself too much about then it's openside flanker.
However, the talk over the summer was about Tommy Reffell and Jac Morgan, with Justin Tipuric having to sit the trip out with an injury.
It seems Thomas Young's stock has fallen in the last 18 months or so but he had a quietly impressive night in Llanelli. There was one absolute textbook turnover in the first half when he swooped like a thief in the night to snaffle Scarlet ball.
And he was a complete pest at the breakdown throughout the entire match. He should really be part of the conversation around openside flanker even if it is a remarkably competitive part of the squad.
Young's one drawback is that he does give away penalties, which comes with the territory when you play on the edge. Fine showing from him nonetheless and Pivac will know that the openside department is well stocked for Wales.
READ MORE:
Nigel Owens: My new job in rugby and the illegal trend we've already spotted
Justin Tipuric and Gareth Anscombe add to Wayne Pivac's injury worries as New Zealand showdown looms
