Sure, they could be excused for having thoughts of home and family, but this is a game in which professionalism will be tested and attitude will decide the winner.
The side needs to make sure the desire and want is there in spades against a dangerous Lions side.
The Lions are in the same boat - they have no chance of making the play-offs, so there is only pride to play for.
So this game is about the glory of a win.
And that is exactly what the Highlanders need - a victory.
Having last won a game at Easter, the southern franchise needs to get back into some winning form and mark the season down as a success.
Before the season started, there was plenty of talk from the Highlanders camp about wanting to do better than last year, when the side won three games and finished 11th.
The side has won one more match at this stage, but could finish as low as 13th if it does not win another game and results in other matches go against it.
Coach Glenn Moore has this week stressed the need to finish as high up the table as possible, but playing the Lions in their backyard will not be easy.
This Lions side is not like those of a few years ago; this team is well organised and can score tries.
The South Africans may be a couple of places below the Highlanders in the table, but they can not be accused of playing unimaginative rugby.
The Johannesburg-based side has shown plenty of endeavour this year and, as with the Highlanders, luck has not always gone its way.
The Lions should have beaten the Chiefs, and had their chances against both the Hurricanes and Crusaders.
The winner of this match will be the side that takes its chances.
Both sides can create opportunities, but both have been guilty of not capitalising on them.
Moore said he was confident his side had the ability to win but it had to play to its ability.
"If we play well we will win the game. But we can't take victory for granted. The Lions are a different proposition on their home turf, as the Crusaders found out.
"We need to front up and play well to get the victory," Moore said.
The Crusaders sneaked home in a close match, 32-20, last week.
The Highlanders went up to the high veldt last Sunday, after the Sharks match, and have had a couple of hard training sessions.
Moore said the players had felt the pain after the sessions and he hoped that hard work would help them out in the dying stages of the match, when the effects of playing at high altitude are felt.
He was disappointed with the 23-15 loss to the Sharks, which came down to a couple of errors that led to tries to the Sharks.
Moore has resisted making wholesale changes to his side, with Johnny Leota coming in for the suspended Daniel Bowden, while winger Kendrick Lynn is in for Fetu'u Vainikolo on the left wing.
Jayden Hayward comes on to the bench, and it would be good to see him get a run.
Prop Jamie Mackintosh is under a cloud after picking up a bug, while Chris King is bracketed with Clint Newland on the tighthead side.
If Mackintosh does not make it, King will play and Newland will get a start.
Moore has stuck with the core of his side throughout the season, and some players need to repay that loyalty.
First five-eighth Mathew Berquist has to free his outsides quicker, and pick the right time to kick, while locks Tom Donnelly and Hayden Triggs have to show some command in the line-out.
The Lions welcome back skipper and blindside flanker Cobus Grobelaar from injury, and will be looking to big centre Jaque Fourie to keep up his impressive form.
