Joseph said from South Africa yesterday the Brumbies quarterfinal - in which the Highlanders hung on at the end to win 15-9 - was perhaps a reflection of how much effort had gone into the proceeding weeks.
He said there had been much travel before the last match of the regular season against the Chiefs, which preceded the quarterfinal.
"I thought against the Chiefs we played some really good footy. It was a big match and both sides showed a high skill level and both the teams really wanted to win,'' he said.
"Then we had to go to Canberra against a tough side, the Brumbies, in what were tough conditions. If you wanted to mark our performance I would give it six out of 10 ... but we came through and we are on the next phase now.
"This is day one of our week and the boys are pretty keen to play our style of footy and play against what is a quality Lions side.''
Joseph said the Lions were a team which had performed well right from the start of the season.
"I don't think they have some from nowhere. They beat the Chiefs and had a good game against us. Since being back in South Africa they have performed well and would have finished top of the table if they had played all their players in that last game.''
He said the Lions did not play the traditional South African style game in that they played a running type of game while still looking to dominate through the maul and scrum.
"We know what it is like here. We played here last year where we were ahead by a few points last year only for the spirit and the tenacity of the Lions come through. We are really looking forward to the challenge.''
The side stayed in Australia after the quarterfinal and went straight to Johannesburg from Sydney. Joseph said that cut out a day of travel getting from Dunedin to Sydney so the team had the luxury of having eight days to prepare for the match.
Joseph said he was happy with the way Luke Whitelock played out of position at lock against the Brumbies but the Lions were a different opponent.
The Highlanders have had plenty of rejigging of personnel - lock Joe Wheeler, hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate, flanker James Lentjes, prop Craig Miller and first five-eighth Marty Banks have arrived from New Zealand. Alex Ainley and Ross Geldenhuys were already in the original touring party.
Prop Siosiua Halanukonuka has injured an ankle ligament and is out for the the rest of the Highlanders' season while also coming back to New Zealand are second five-eighth Rob Thompson, lock Mark Reddish, flanker and co-captain Shane Christie and hooker Liam Coltman.
Both Coltman (toe) and Christie (neck) have had injury issues
Banks had appeared to have been gone from what was an injury-riddled season when he injured his hamstring at the start of this month, the day before the match against the Kings in Port Elizabeth. But he has recovered and Joseph said he was a big-game player.
He said youngster Fletcher Smith, who had been brought in to replace Banks, had performed well and was a player of the future.
