Osborne will tonight start on the left wing to take on the Blues at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The Fijian is into his fourth season in the South and a Dunedin winter is a long way from the tropical climate of Fiji where he grew up.
But after just experiencing a season in Japan, getting back under the roof in Dunedin is a pleasant return to normality.
"It was different over there. Now I know how they feel when they come over here. We don’t have any Japanese signs over here and over there there are no signs in English so that was different," he said.
"The rugby was good. Everybody is fit over there . They just love running. It is just a bit different than here when it is more balanced, a bit more skill. Over there everybody runs all the time."
Osborne played for the Kubota Spears club, the club for which former Otago and Highlanders players Alando Soakai and Seilala Mapusua plied their trade.
He enjoyed the Japanese lifestyle and is heading back there for a second season. He is not sure about his future with the Highlanders next season but there is plenty to do before that decision comes around.
Osborne, who grew up in Suva, has enjoyed Dunedin since he arrived in the South in the 2014 season although it is a tad on the cold side in the middle of winter.
He has been helped by having countryman Waisake Naholo out on one wing in the past three seasons.
Naholo though is missing at the moment, trying to get over a hamstring injury he picked up against the Blues the first time the teams clashed.Osborne (29) said Naholo was not a great watcher.
"You can tell he wants to get back — he is just angry at everybody, mocking everyone at the gym and then goes off home. He wants to come back and, hopefully, will be back in two to three weeks."
Osborne made a slow start to the season, having to get his body back to the demands of Super Rugby after the fast but not overly physical Japan top league.
"The week against the Brumbies I did not get much ball. But playing under the roof last week, a lot of running and that gets you a bit tired.
"Everyone who wants to come down here wants to play running rugby."
Osborne said the side was fully aware of the importance of the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy and had been told by the coaches and management of the impact Hunter had on the South.
The trophy, held by the Highlanders, may be a real incentive but more valuable tonight is position on the points table.
With New Zealand teams beating everyone else, the games between each other become vital.
The Highlanders have scored one win of four against other New Zealand teams, against the Blues at Eden Park.
The visiting side has plenty of X-factor but in games like this it sometimes just comes down to the basics. Tackling, passing, set piece — all done with accuracy.
Highlanders v Blues, Forsyth Barr Stadium, today, 7.35pm
Highlanders: Ben Smith (captain), Tevita Li, Malakai Fekitoa, Richard Buckman, Patrick Osborne, Marty Banks, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Dillon Hunt, Elliot Dixon, Tom Franklin, Alex Ainley, Siosuia Halanukonuka, Liam Coltman, Daniel Lienert-Brown. Reserves: Greg Pleasants-Tate, Aki Seiuli, Siate Tokolahi, Joe Wheeler, Liam Squire, Kayne Hammington, Fletcher Smith, Matt Faddes
Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, George Moala, Melani Nanai, Piers Francis, Augustine Pulu, Steve Luatua, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons (captain), Pauliasi Manu. Reserves: Matt Moulds, Sam Prattley, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Akira Ioane, Billy Guyton, Bryn Gatland, Sonny Bill Williams
Referee: Jamie Nutbrown
Highlanders key man
Dillon Hunt: The young student from the the North Shore has had a big rise over the past six months, helped by injuries to those around him. But he has not looked out of place on the openside flank and got through some work since he started three games ago. Goes up against another up and comer in Blake Gibson.
Blues key man
Piers Francis: The Blues have X-factor littered all over the park but since Carlos Spencer left the building have struggled to have a reliable No10. Francis is heading back to the United Kingdom at the end of the season so it is hard to see why they are investing in him. But he is the straight man with all the talent around him. How he uses his team-mates will be the key for the Blues.