The Highlanders gritty - and admittedly ugly - 18-13 win over the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night gives the side a lift in confidence and, most importantly, was not a loss.
In the grand scheme of things, a game against the Brumbies in Canberra is one you would write down at the start of the season as a maybe.
So, to bag a win - no matter how sloppy and forgettable it was - is a bonus for the Highlanders.
Sure it is one to not write home about but it is a victory the side will cherish.
And consider the alternative - a loss, slipping further behind the contenders and starting to get into the dangerous territory of having to rely on others.
Highlanders head coach Tony Brown acknowledged it was an ugly win but a win nevertheless.
''They're a hard team to play on their own patch. It was wet, the ball was hard to hold on to, they look to the rolling maul. We had to really dig deep and the guys did well in the last few minutes,'' Brown said.
''It was pretty frustrating to watch. We had the opportunity to close the game out but for one reason or another we just couldn't. But we got there in the end.''
With the victory, the side rises to 11th on the ladder although a lack of bonus points means it still sits bottom of the New Zealand conference.
''It's far too early to be looking at the points table now. At the moment all we have to do is try and prepare for the next game as best we can.''
One of the most impressive performances for the Highlanders came from rookie openside flanker Dillon Hunt.
Hunt has come into the side as injury cover for Shane Christie and Dan Pryor
Brown said Hunt put on an impressive defensive effort and pulled off a lot of tackles.
Winger Sio Tomkinson, in his debut at this level, scored a try, which was not hard in itself, but was strong in both attack and defence, and looked at home at this level.
Importantly for the Highlanders, the side did not pick up any new injuries.
The side faces a short turnaround this week, taking on the Rebels at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night, which will also be halfback Aaron Smith's 100th game for the franchise.
The Highlanders had a tough trip back, travelling on a bus back from Canberra to Sydney straight after the game, before a flight to Auckland. They were and scheduled to get back to Dunedin about 6.30pm last night.
In other games over the weekend, the Waratahs beat the Rebels 32-25 in Melbourne, the Blues thumped the Bulls 38-14 in North Harbour, the Stormers downed the Sunwolves 44-31 in Singapore, the Lions defeated the Kings 42-19 in Port Elizabeth, the Sharks edged the Cheetahs 38-30 in Bloemfontein and the Jaguares beat the Reds 22-8 In Buenos Aires.