The side regathered in Dunedin yesterday after a week off because of the bye, when most of the team went home and got away from rugby.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said the bye was well timed, considering the tough start to the season.
"I thought it was just really important for the guys to get away from rugby for a while, go back home and have a few days off," Joseph said.
"But now we are back we want to get our train back on the tracks and play positively in the weekend.
"The guys are refreshed now and hungry to play the next match."
The players were restricted to gym work and meeting coaches yesterday, and will start team training today.
Winger Kade Poki remains the biggest injury worry with damage to his knee, and although he was able to run lightly on it, more will be known of the extent of his injury later in the week.
Veteran Tony Brown remained with the team, while key first five-eighth Colin Slade looks likely to make his first start of the season as he appears to have fully recovered from a broken jaw suffered in late January.
Playing in Invercargill would be a bonus for more than a dozen of the side, playing on their home ground at Rugby Park.
"It is a good opportunity for the boys from down there to play in front of their home crowd.
"Then the other boys can go down there and play for the first time as Highlanders," Joseph said.
The side will travel to Invercargill on Thursday morning.
Joseph said results over the past couple of weeks showed just how close the competition was, with the likes of the Cheetahs beating the Waratahs and the Rebels beating the Hurricanes last Friday night.
"If you drop your guard, no matter how small, then you might get beaten."
Teams coming off the bye had sometimes struggled in their first game back, but Joseph said the bye had to be taken, and it was something the side could not control.
The side just had to prepare properly this week.
It now had seven games in a row before the next bye, in late May.
After starting the competition with three wins, the Highlanders lost their past two games, against the Stormers in Cape Town and against the Crusaders at Carisbrook.
"When you look at the Crusaders and the Stormers, the two sides we have lost to, then they are the two top sides in the competition, so I think that reflects well on us.
"The next game is the critical one.
"We're not worrying about any other ones after that."
