The Highlanders are well out of the playoff picture and have won just one of their opening three games.
They are in 12th place but the race has only just started.
The side lost to the Crusaders 31-13 on Friday night in Christchurch and dropped to the bottom of the New Zealand conference after four rounds. But the reality is the Highlanders have played one game fewer than most other teams and taken on three of the top teams in the competition.
The Sharks, Brumbies and Crusaders all sit in the top eight and are expected to be in the finals, come the end of the season.
The Highlanders, though, to have a sniff of getting into the playoffs, need to win their home games and, most importantly, against sides they are expected to beat.
That starts with the match against the Rebels at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night.
The Highlanders simply must win to have a shot at becoming a relevant team in the competition.
The Rebels have not started well, winning just the one game from four matches. The Melbourne-based side went down at home to the Sharks 36-24 on Saturday as it failed to convert chances and did not take full advantage of the Sharks being down to 13 men at one stage.
The Highlanders will have to stiffen up their defence against the Rebels and should be better for being at home and having a full week of training under their belts.
Loose forward Shannon Frizell was nursing a sore ankle after Friday’s game and was on crutches on Saturday. But a week is a long time and he may be right to play.
Team changes are unlikely, though the defence should get a decent hit-out on the training paddock this week after missing far too many tackles against the Crusaders and letting in some easy tries.
The Highlanders will want to win on Friday night, as they head off to South Africa next weekend. A victory always makes the plane ride much better.
The side will play the Bulls in Pretoria on March 8 and then head to Argentina to take on the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on March 15.
The side has only played once before in Argentina, winning 34-8 in 2016.
It will basically fly around the world on its travels and be back in Dunedin to take on the Lions the following week.
The Stormers are top of the table after winning their fourth game of the season, beating the Jaguares 17-7 at home. The Brumbies caused an upset by going to Hamilton and defeating an inaccurate Chiefs outfit 26-14. The Reds had a big win over the Sunwolves 64-5 in Brisbane, scoring 10 tries, while the Blues just squeaked past the Bulls 23-21 in Pretoria.
The Chiefs, Crusaders and Brumbies all have the bye this week.
The Highlanders Bravehearts lost 40-12 to the Crusaders Knights in Christchurch on Saturday.