Being off the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition pace has left the Chiefs and Highlanders going into the second half of their campaigns on Sunday in Hamilton looking for the best possible finish to take something positive from the experience.
That leaves the Chiefs looking hardest as they are without a win.
Coach Warren Gatland said the statistics didn't tell any lies in the Chiefs earlier games and while they had finished all their games well, they couldn't afford to come from a long way back.
The fix-it was about being smarter with the ball and limiting the number of turnovers.
"We're in professional sport and it's all about results and I understand that fully," he said.
They had lost some experienced voices with Tyler Ardron and Anton Lienert-Brown having been out, but that also provided opportunities for young players to get a chance and that was also an important part of the side's development.
Gatland said the side was playing differently, and less effectively, than before the lockdown. They were not kicking as much and in winter conditions that was putting them under pressure.
"Teams defensively are coming really, really hard at you at the moment with different refereeing the way the breakdown we get a lot of players on their feet and so there's not a lot of space so how do you create some space? You've got to get going forward or stop teams coming so hard defensively off their line and the way to do that is cross field kicks and little kicks over the top and having that variation," he said.
Now that they were out of the running to win the competition, they were still aiming for a second or third placing, but they were also conscious that with players heading overseas, they should look to next season with their selection choices.
Captain Sam Cane said the competition had reminded him of Test matches in the way there were 10 minute periods that swung the game and the Chiefs had not been good enough to take those.
"The key message is really around belief and reinforcing that we are on the right track and we've got to stick to what we're good at and try and make small improvements rather than trying to fix lots of little, different things. Hopefully, we'll see that Sunday," he said.
The Highlanders were able to call on first five-eighths Josh Ioane to return, albeit from the bench while in the pack concerns over flanker Dillon Hunt, who received a poke in the eye last week, were groundless and it will be an unchanged pack that starts on Sunday.
Wing Jona Nareki will be on the bench which will see Scott Gregory move to the left wing in order for Josh McKay to make his competition debut.
Folau Fakatava will be the chance to play in place of Kayne Hammington as back-up halfback.
Coach Aaron Mauger is like Gatland in looking for continued improvement from the Highlanders.
"We have had our chances in every game we've played and the guys are working at getting better every time they run out. We are all aware the standard of play in this competition is extremely high and you need your very best against any team," he said.
The teams are:
Chiefs: 1.Aidan Ross, 2.Bradley Slater, 3.Nepo Laulala, 4.Tupou Vaa'i, 5.Mitchell Brown, 6.Lachlan Boshier, 7.Sam Cane, 8.Pita Gus Sowakula, 9.Brad Weber, 10.Kaleb Trask, 11.Solomon Alaimalo, 12.Alex Nankivell, 13.Anton Lienert-Brown, 14.Sean Wainui, 15.Damian McKenzie.
Substitutes: 16.Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17.Reuben O'Neill, 18.Ross Geldenhuys, 19.Adam Thomson, 20.Mitchell Karpik, 21.Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22.Aaron Cruden, 23.Quinn Tupaea.
Highlanders: 1.Ayden Johnstone, 2.Ash Dixon (captain), 3.Siate Tokolahi, 4.Paripari Parkinson, 5.Jack Whetton, 6.Shannon Frizell, 7.Dillon Hunt, 8.Marino Mikaele Tu'u, 9.Aaron Smith (captain), 10.Mitch Hunt, 11.Scott Gregory, 12.Patelesio Tomkinson, 13.Rob Thompson, 14.Josh McKay, 15.Michael Collins.
Substitutes: 16.Liam Coltman, 17.Ethan de Groot, 18.Jeff Thwaites, 19.Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20. Jesse Parete, 21.Folau Fakatava, 22.Josh Ioane, 23.Jona Nareki.