Two heavy losses is not how the camp imagined starting the season.
Tonight’s game against the Chiefs in Hamilton shapes as another mountainous challenge.
A lot of people will be pencilling them in for a third loss.
That stings.
Coach Clarke Dermody has seen improvement in a tough start to the campaign.
"There are areas of the game we have improved in. Obviously the scoreboard doesn’t reflect that," he said.
"And we feel the pain of our supporters, we definitely do.
"But hopefully, in the next two or three weeks, our game is going to be in a position where we can test teams."
The Highlanders rested All Black trio Aaron Smith, Shannon Frizell and Ethan de Groot for the game against the Crusaders.
The 52-15 loss was a tough watch but Dermody harboured no regrets about that decision.
"It has been a tricky start for us. It was always going to be that way playing the top three teams in the competition straight away," he said.
"The All Blacks’ rest last week was, well, we had a 14-hour travel day over to Melbourne and 16 hours home.
"We decided to take that out of our All Blacks’ legs so they can be fresh for the next run of games."
Captain Billy Harmon and halfback Folau Fakatava will take their prescribed All Blacks leave tonight.
But Smith, Frizell and de Groot have come back fresh and have helped lift the mood in the camp.
"I felt like we prepared well [during the preseason] but we’ve just played two teams that were too good for us. It is not the results we were after and that disappointment is something that is through the camp, but it is a long season.
"But hopefully with the team we’ve put together this week, and the preparation we’ve had, we can be better."
The Crusaders put the Highlanders’ set piece under pressure, but it was the turnovers that proved costly.
A week earlier, the Highlanders threw a lot of ball away against the Blues and were hammered 60-20.
The key to shoring up the defence was simple, Dermody said.
"Don’t turn the ball over. Turnover D is the best source of possession to attack off.
"When the ball is turned over in the wrong positions ... then good attacks that we’ve faced will tear you apart and it will be the same against the Chiefs if we give them the ball and don’t respect it."
Super Rugby Pacific
Hamilton, 7.05pm
Highlanders: Freddie Burns, Martin Bogado, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Mosese Dawai, Mitch Hunt, Aaron Smith, Hugh Renton, James Lentjes (captain), Shannon Frizell, Josh Dickson, Pari Pari Parkinson, Jermaine Ainsley, Rhys Marshall, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Leni Apisai Ayden Johnstone Saula Ma’u, Fabian Holland, Sean Withy, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Fetuli Paea, Connor Garden-Bachop.
Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Alex Nankivell, Rameka Poihipi, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber (co-captain), Luke Jacobson, Sam Cane (co-captain), Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Tupou Vaa’i, Brodie Retallick, John Ryan, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Bradley Slater, Ollie Norris, George Dyer, Samipeni Finau, Pita Gus Sowakula, Cortez Ratima, Josh Ioane, Daniel Rona.
