With the Super Rugby over for another year, assistant coach Tony Brown has broken down the Highlanders' 2016 season in an interview with the southern franchise's high performance manager, Greg O'Brien.
Entering as defending champions, hopes were high for this team and they did not disappoint. After dropping their first game, the Highlanders went on a five-match winning streak, showing they would be contenders once again.
Two losses on either side of the bye-week threatened to derail the campaign, but they fought back with a series of strong performances, culminating with a 34-26 win over the Crusaders at a sold out Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The last five weeks of the season saw them rack up the travel-miles, playing just one game in New Zealand, another sell out at home against the Chiefs.
They defended stoutly to beat the Brumbies 15-9 in tough conditions in Canberra. That saw them advance to the semifinals. But that proved a bridge too far, as the Lions ran away with a 42-30 win in Johannesburg.