The Old Golds have won just one of their opening four games in the Heartland Championship and face the daunting task of heading to Temuka today to face their high-flying old enemies.
South Canterbury have won three straight Meads Cups and broken the New Zealand record for consecutive wins — 35 and counting — in a national championship.
Few will give North Otago much of a chance of offering more than nuisance value today, but do not tell Forrest his men have no chance of regaining the coveted Hanan Shield and the Phil Gard and Bill Direen Memorial trophies.
He felt the Old Golds showed in narrow losses to two decent teams, Thames Valley and East Coast, that they were not far away.
"This is a huge opportunity for us to get the three trophies on the line back, for a start, and then obviously break that winning streak.
"That's sort of all we talked about on Tuesday. We didn't even really review our game too much. It was just, let's get on to this huge challenge in front of us and get excited and get buzzed."
Forrest said it felt like an unusual campaign at the halfway stage.
North Otago had lost a couple of winnable games and felt better than the ninth-best team in Heartland rugby.
"We've been doing some really good things. We could have been three from four, to be fair.
"They’re a really good group, really good environment, really good culture — so we're ticking a lot of other boxes, which we haven't probably in the past, but unfortunately we're not getting the results.
"We're not far away, and it's a bit of a weird feeling for us right now."
The Old Golds had significant player turnover in the ranks this season and do not have an extensive amount of Heartland experience.
Co-captains Mat Duff and Cameron Rowland — the latter a great stalwart of club rugby but a mere chick in Heartland terms — had been setting the standard, Forrest said, while halfback Jake Matthews was playing a senior hand in the backs at a relatively young age.
The task now was to convert opportunities and close out games to, at the very least, qualify for the Lochore Cup playoffs.
"We could be in that top four. We're not, obviously, but we certainly could be.
"Hopefully this group can just finish off the season well and get some real confidence by winning this weekend."
North Otago midfielder Chihiro Matsuyama is out with a rib injury, but star man Tini Feke is back.
South Canterbury, meanwhile, just keep rolling on under former Old Golds coach Nigel Walsh.
They have been challenged in patches — indeed they only won this clash by four points last year — but they remain unbeaten in the competition since October 12, 2019.
Heartland Championship
Temuka, 2pm
North Otago: Ben McCarthy, Seva Druma, Hayden Todd, Mataitini Feke, Mavaetangi Finau, Greg Dyer, Jake Matthews, Kasimila Vaihu, Kasimila Vaihu, Matt Duff, Savenaca Rabaka, Lawrence Leung-Wai, Fergus Read, Bradley Harewood, Ryusei Kato, Jake Greenslade. Reserves: Cameron Rowland, Roney Vanila, Lisivani Tuifua, Conor Lawson, Anthony Docherty, Matia Batavotavo, Jamie Mullan, Oli Knopp.
South Canterbury: Liueli Simote, Lisiate Folau, Clarence Moli, Paula Fifita, Peala Mafakaiongo, Sam Briggs, William Wright, Siu Kakala, Finlay Joyce, Tangi Savelio, Kieran Harris, Anthony Amato, Taufa Hala"ufia, Conor Anderson, Tokomaata Fakatava/Craison Dale. Reserves: Junior Fa’avae, Jack Pani/Craison Dale, Garret Casey, Somone Lavaka, Loni Tounohuni, Faalele Iosua, Dan Patterson, Miles Medlicott.
