The Highlanders have complete control of their playoff destiny until the final whistle of their game against the Blues at Eden Park tonight.
Win, and they punch their ticket to the Super Rugby Pacific finals, and they will deserve their place, regardless of what the grinches say about the bloated system.
Lose, and they will need no fewer than three results to go their way.
First up is the Brumbies later tonight. They should have no bother beating the Rebels in Canberra. Happy days.
Then comes the Reds heading to Fiji to play the Drua tomorrow afternoon. It has been a good week for Queensland, and the Highlanders will be right behind the Reds in Fiji, where the Drua are tough to beat.
All going well, it comes down to Perth at midnight tomorrow. The Chiefs are a much better team than the Force, though they might rest some players. Hopefully, the Chiefs do their Kiwi mates a solid.
Not, of course, that the Highlanders are thinking (yet) about having others do their dirty work.
Captain Billy Harmon, whose exceptional performances were recognised with the MVP nod at the team’s awards this week, can’t wait to see if the Highlanders can take their winning efforts from the past two weeks at home to the Eden Park cauldron.
"These are the kind of moments that you play footy for," he said.
"There’s a lot of meaning behind it, it’s exciting, and there’s that pressure for us to execute — and the last two weeks, that’s what we’ve done."
The Highlanders were crushed 60-20 by the Blues on opening night.
That scoreline was irrelevant, Harmon said.
"We’ve got men coming into some real form, which is awesome at this point of the season.
"With the Blues, when we look back to round one, I actually think we put them under a lot of pressure but when we didn’t execute, that’s when they pounced and got points off that.
"If we can nail our execution, and cut down those errors, it could be a different ball game.
"We know they’ve got some exciting players in their team. For us, it’s just nailing our stuff and we’ll be away."
A major boost for the Highlanders has been getting most of their top players healthy again.
The trickle-down effect means the bench carries a bit more oomph, and that has been highlighted in recent weeks with the likes of super-sub Folau Fakatava, rising prop Saula Ma’u and break-out flanker Sean Withy having a big impact later in games.
"The lads have been doing a lot of work around when they come on and how they’re going to impact the game," Harmon said.
"For them, it’s just about nailing their role. It’s not about doing anything special."
The Highlanders would like to make the playoffs, obviously, but they would also treasure the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy, if it can be returned.
To bring the Gordie home, well, they will need to produce something special.
The Blues have won eight of their past nine games against the Highlanders.
They get into the opposition 22m zone more than any other team in Super Rugby — the Highlanders are second-worst in that category — and tend to cause damage when they get there.
Winger Mark Telea, who scored four tries against the Hurricanes last weekend, plays his 50th game.
He is just one of the home team’s attacking threats the Highlanders will somehow need to neutralise if they are to make the playoffs without other results going in their favour.
Highlanders loose forward Marino Mikaele-Tu’u will be leaving the club.
He has signed a three-year deal with Mitsubishi in Japan.
Super Rugby Pacific
Eden Park, 7.05pm
Highlanders: Mitch Hunt, Scott Gregory, Matt Whaanga, Sam Gilbert, Jona Nareki, Freddie Burns, Aaron Smith, Hugh Renton, Billy Harmon (captain), Shannon Frizell, Max Hicks, Pari Pari Parkinson, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Sean Withy, Folau Fakatava, Connor Garden-Bachop, Fetuli Paea.
Blues: Zarn Sullivan, Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, Bryce Heem, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Finlay Christie, Dalton Papali’i (capt), Anton Segner, Tom Robinson, James Tucker, Patrick Tuipulotu, Nepo Laulala, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu’ungafasi. Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Marcel Renata, Rob Rush, Akira Ioane, Sam Nock, Stephen Perofeta, AJ Lam.
