Highlanders ended their season in the first week of the playoffs. But overall there were more ups than downs in 2017 for the franchise. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks back at the season.
Two years after winning the title, the question has to be asked.
Have the Highlanders peaked? Was that 2015 title the top of the tree and is the side ever so slowly coming down from that high-tide mark?
The short answer to that is no, the side has not peaked.
It is still right up there in terms of performances.
But this year has shown that at the very top levels the margins are wafer thin. And get on the wrong side of that margin - especially in the New Zealand conference - and going the whole way in the playoffs is desperately hard.
The Highlanders had six games against New Zealand teams this year and won only two of them - both against the Blues.
That, in the end, was the difference between going on in the playoffs or dipping out.
The team began the season with a 1-3 start - all against New Zealand teams - and from then on was always chasing the Crusaders, Chiefs and Hurricanes.
It never caught them and thus the playoff road became too steep.
The poor start came from a bit of average play, some bad run with injuries and forgettable refereeing calls.
At times, there were more than a dozen players on the sideline and that is never going to help when you are playing a top, top side.
In 2015, the side had very few injuries.
Super Rugby is a high quality competition, against New Zealand teams anyway, and the very best players have to be on the field.
It is so easy to blame the referee, but drill down a bit further into the playing of the game and games are usually lost by poor play
However, Malakai Fekitoa's yellow card against the Crusaders and the non-red card for Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara were crucial calls against the Highlanders.
As an aside, rugby officials need to find the line between physicality and foul play. At the moment it is blurred and results in inconsistent calls from referees.
After the disappointing start, the Highlanders then went on a tear and won nine games in a row, a record for the franchise.
There were spectacular wins, such as the comeback-from-the-dead victory over the Cheetahs, and the thumping of the Rebels and the Force.
But the problem was the three other top New Zealand sides were winning too so the Highlanders could never catch up.
The loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch in early June was tough to take but, even if they had won, the Highlanders would still have finished seventh or eighth.
And once it started raining in Christchurch last weekend, the team was never going to finish in front of the Crusaders.
So what to look forward to next year?
All the main players are returning minus backs Malakai Fekitoa and Marty Banks. They will be missed but that just creates opportunities. The team has plenty of midfield options although Banks' ability and temperament will be missed.
The competition is going to get tougher with three teams cut and two more New Zealand derbies so the Highlanders cannot afford to lag.
Time does not stand still in Super Rugby - teams will be finalised within a couple of months.
The recipe for next year is simple. In fact, it has not changed since the dawn of the competition.
Win, win well and get better as the months go on.
Highlanders 2017
Best player
Marty Banks: Got a reprieve through the injury to Hayden Parker and, after an early injury wobble, matured into a calm, controlled first five-eighth. A clutch player on many occasions.
Honourable mentions to Aaron Smith and Waisake Naholo.
Most improved
Luke Whitelock: Was seen as a man who could fit it when needed. But by the end of the season was the clear first option at No8 and an automatic selection. Tough with the ball in hand, assured in the tackle and possessed admirable leadership skills.
Honourable mentions to Jackson Hemopo and Rob Thompson who got better and better as the season went on.
Best newcomer
Dillon Hunt: Was supposed to be turning out for University this season. But injuries cleared the way for Hunt to get his chance and he took it. Barely missed a tackle and the way the game has evolved this is what a No7 has turned into.
Frustrating year
Malakai Fekitoa/Elliot Dixon: Fekitoa is a great defender - of that there is no doubt. But his attack was far from convincing and he ran across field too often. But he will be missed. Only guy to start all 17 games.
Dixon felt the effects of a long 2016. Never really got the wheels turning at any pace this season and he is most definitely not an openside flanker.
Questions
- How different would have the season been had Fekitoa not been - unfairly - given a yellow card at the end of the first game against the Crusaders?
- Wasn't Dan Pryor supposed to be back at the end of March?
- Could the conditions have been any worse for the Highlanders in Christchurch last Saturday? Wasn't it the perfect storm for the Crusaders?
- Shane Christie - what was the go there?
- Isn't it time for Sio Tomkinson and Josh Dickson to start delivering on their potential?
What is needed for 2018
- Stay on the field - injuries hurt the side at the start of the season so it was always behind the top New Zealand teams.
- Become the money man - someone to step up and be as reliable and consistent as the departing Marty Banks.
- Beat NZ teams - the New Zealand sides will play each other twice next season. That makes wins over them critical.