Disappointed with the start they made to the regular Super Rugby competition, the Highlanders would have their strongest side of the year on the mark for the Super Rugby Aotearoa opener against the Chiefs in Dunedin on Saturday.
Coach Aaron Mauger said there was still some work to do but he felt they were on the right track and they would have an indication of that after the game.
Mauger said after all the country had been through he appreciated the chance to be involved in the occasion, as was the team, and he hoped that the game was a way of letting local people know how much the Highlanders cared for them and he also hoped they could do that with a good performance on Saturday.
Canterbury wing Sam Gilbert has been a surprise inclusion in the starting team and that was the reward for the work he had put in since the players returned to duty.
"If we were picking a squad three weeks ago, he probably would not have been in it," Mauger said.
"But how he's fronted up and how he's prepared through these three weeks is testament to him.
"He is a smart guy who works extremely hard, asks a lot of questions and most importantly delivered under pressure through our intensity sessions and nailed our internal game. He is a big boy too and he has presence.
"Jona [Nareki] and Mitch [Hunt] bring a different skill set so we wanted to make sure we had a power winger on that side [right]. Out of all of our guys he [Gilbert] was the one that stepped up through this period and earned this spot."
All Blacks Sevens player Vilimoni Koroi also offered versatility with his ability to play in the five-eighths, fullback or wing.
"We considered what it would look like if he started…but it was about getting the balance right around experience and also controlling the game.
"How we control the ball, and where we play and how we play, is going to be critical. That's why we opted for Mitch at fullback.
"But Vili will come on later in the game and do what he does best once the defence is a bit more broken up," Mauger said.
Choosing the side had been around having the balance correct as there were new players in the team and they needed to blend with the more experienced players.
Hunt had experience in the fullback role, mainly off the bench with the Crusaders and had played fullback at school.
"We just wanted to have Mitch on the field. We're aware of the Chiefs' threats and where we play the game territory control and control of the ball is going to be critical so we felt Mitch was the best man to start at fullback.
"With Josh hitting form, and how Josh fronted up fitter than he was in the earlier part of the year and around his leadership and running the team was in a better space there and he's been very impressive," he said.