Watching the Highlanders play is always tough on the nerves. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks back at the past few seasons and finds very little evidence of convincing victories or heavy defeats.
Sport is all about emotion. Going from the heights of sheer elation to the depths of despair - all in in a few minutes.
When you watch the Highlanders, you certainly get to experience the ride. They put their fans through a roller coaster of turmoil, ecstasy, gloom and glee.
A look at the statistics shows nearly 70% of their games are decided by 10 points or fewer.
Of 110 games played by the Highlanders since the start of the 2008 season, a whopping 72 have been decided by that margin.
A convincing victory for the Highlanders is a rarity. And a thumping loss is hardly a common bedfellow, either.
Last weekend, the Highlanders beat the Stormers 39-21, and had the game in the bag straight after halftime.
Going back to the start of the 2008 season, it was only the eighth time the Highlanders had won a game by more than 10 points.
Given they have recorded 42 wins in that time, it means more than 80% of their wins in the period were by 10 points or fewer. That really is heart-in-the-mouth material.
Of their 68 losses since 2008, 39 of them - nearly 60% - have been by 10 points or fewer.
The Highlanders rarely skip clear for a commanding victory, but nor do they throw up the white flag early and let the floodgates open.
Coach Jamie Joseph's side is blue collar - it does not have the rock stars, and has to work hard for every win.
Last year - when the Highlanders qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons - was very hard work on the heart.
Of the 17 games, all but four of them were decided by 10 points or fewer.
There was the nail-biting win over the Lions, the marvellous defensive effort against the Hurricanes in Wellington, and the Patrick Osborne try that was not against the Crusaders.
There was also the utterly bizarre game against the Reds, when the Highlanders were awful in the first half and a bit better through the second, and had a great final five minutes to seemingly draw the game, only to miss touch from the kick-off and concede a try.
Then there was the 2009 season - the one in which, out of 13 games, there were nine close finishes. If the Highlanders had won all the close games, they would have ended up finishing on top of the table. Instead, they won only two.
The 2008 season was much the same - they lost their first four games by a combined 15 points.
Other sides tend to win bigger. The Crusaders have had 45 wins by more than 10 points in their games since 2008. The Blues have racked up 27 victories by more than 10 points in that time. The Auckland-based side has also had 23 losses by more than 10 points.
The Highlanders, though, do not care about the size of victory. Whether you win by one point or 100, you still only get four points. And they are the points that really matter.
Close calls
Since 2008
Highlanders games, in selected seasons, decided by 10 points or fewer.-
• 2014: 13 (of 17 games)
• 2012: 12 (16 games)
• 2009: 9 (13 games)
• 2008: 9 (13 games)