The Highlanders are in foreign territory.
They have scored more tries than in any other season, won more games than in any previous season and now have a chance to finish top of the pile for the first time.
The southern franchise won its 10th game of the season on Saturday night, with a commanding 36-9 victory over the Chiefs in Invercargill.
That is the first time in their existence the Highlanders have cracked double figures for wins in a season.
Playing more games undoubtedly increases the chances of sides winning more often, but to get 10 victories in a season is still a highlight.
Twice before, the franchise had scored nine wins.
In the 1999 season, it notched up nine although one of the wins was in the semifinals when it won in Cape Town.
That was a good effort as the side only played 13 games all year. It lost the final to the Crusaders.
In the 2012 season, the team bagged nine wins but only managed to finish ninth as it could score only six bonus points.
Last year, the first time it had made the playoffs since the competition was expanded to 15 teams and more games were played, it secured eight wins and made it into the playoffs on the back of 10 bonus points.
This year the side has won twice more - with two games left to play - and has scored eight bonus points.
Last year was also the season in which the Highlanders scored the most tries in a season, dotting down 42 times in 17 games.
But it has passed that mark already this year, the four tries in the win over the Chiefs bringing the tally for the year up to 44.
The Highlanders are the third-highest try-scoring team in the competition this year after the Crusaders, who have bagged 48 tries, and the Hurricanes, who have scored 47.
The Force is bottom of the try-scoring table with just 25 tries in the 14 games the team has played.
The Highlanders can still finish top of the ladder if they win their two remaining games and the Hurricanes fail to pick up any points.
If teams are tied on the same number of points ranking is decided firstly on the number of wins, and then on points differential.