But new Highlanders coach Tony Brown said this is probably the toughest part of the season for his side.
Two weeks into pre-season the players are doing the hard yards.
It is not Christmas cake and crackers. There are a few unusual tasks but plenty of hard slog.
"This is probably the hardest part of the season for the guys. You’re coming along to training and know you re going to get flogged," Brown said.
"But the guys have been really good. We have about half of our squad out there and putting them through their paces and putting a lot of work into our game."
The side is without its Maori All Blacks and All Blacks, who will join after the Christmas break and about a dozen players have been called in to fill up the spots.
Players such as Otago loose forwards Dillon Hunt and Adam Knight and Otago Boys’ High School halfback Tom Hogan have all joined the squad in the pre-season to make up the numbers.
Brown said he has been impressed with the attitude of those players who have made sure training was competitive and of a high standard.
Brown said a couple of outside players who have stood out in the past couple of weeks was young hooker Flynn Thomas and Otago winger Fa’asiu Fuata’i.
Thomas has just finished school at Southland Boys’ High School and played for the New Zealand schools side over the past couple of years.
He is part of the Highlanders apprentice scheme while Fuata’i is covering for All Black outside backs Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith.
"These guys have really been impressive. They may not come into the picture for this season but what it shows to us is what they can do and may put them as candidates further on.
"But everything is running pretty smoothly. There is the usual bumps and niggles but nothing serious so far. The attitude has been awesome from all of the guys and that is what we want to see."
Brown said the Maori All Blacks were due to come back into the squad on January 9 and the All Blacks would be back towards the end of next month.
Brown said it did not feel any different being the head coach, taking over from Jamie Joseph.
"It is still the same to me. The players are the same and we are just doing what we always do."
Joseph had been with the Highlanders for six years but Brown said the side had been so busy there was not enough time to feel his absence.Brown had returned from Japan’s tour of Europe and said it had been an enjoyable experience. The team had won two of its four games in November, and lost narrowly loss to Wales, in Cardiff.
"That was one of my most amazing experiences as a coach. You’re outside, among the crowd of 80,000, not sitting in a box, so that was something real different."
The squad would break up on Tuesday and come back together on January 9. Its first pre-season game is in Darfield, against the Crusaders, on February 4.