Their playoff destiny is in their own hands.
Beat the Blues at Eden Park - not what you would call a safe bet, of course - and they will play again next week, potentially as the seventh-ranked team, one place higher than their current standing.
If they lose on Friday night, they must have three other results go their way.
They will need the Force to lose to the Chiefs - normally a predictable outcome but it is in Perth, the Force will be desperate, and the Chiefs might be unable to avoid a dash of complacency now they have secured top ranking for the playoffs.
They will need the Rebels to lose to the Brumbies in Canberra - you would back the nags in that clash.
Finally, they will need the banged-up Reds to beat the Fijian Drua in Suva - and that could be the tricky one.
If the Highlanders do squeak into the playoffs, it will mean a trip to either Hamilton or Christchurch, and it might be a very quick trip home, but at least the season will have been extended.
Not that Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody will turn cartwheels with an eighth placing.
"We’ve said if we make the playoffs, we want to be in a position to test the best teams, and I don’t feel we’re quite there yet," he said after Friday’s thrilling 35-30 win over the Reds.
"It’s good to have momentum, going up to Auckland, but we know we’ve got to be better again to try and test the Blues."
Last week was all about Aaron Smith and the final chance for the Forsyth Barr Stadium faithful to see the great halfback in a blue jersey.
The team duly delivered a fairy-tale finish for Smith with his understudy, Folau Fakatava, scoring a last-minute try.
"There was a lot going on during the week, and so there should have been," Dermody said.
"He’s such a big part of, not just our club, but New Zealand rugby, so sending him off the right way was important.
"The best thing, I think, was that the young guys coming through got to see how much one player has meant to the club. Hopefully that inspires them, but it’s also what the club means to one player."
Dermody was disappointed the Highlanders started so poorly, conceding two tries inside the first 10 minutes, but felt his side was always in the game.
The impact of the bench was notable as Saula Ma’u, Connor Garden-Bachop and Fakatava all came off the pine to score tries, while Dermody again made the semi-radical call, influenced by the resource situation, to end the game without a lock in the lineup.
"We made a decision to finish with all the loose forwards on the field.
"You have to weigh up the pressure you might come under in the set piece, but the plus side is the ball movement and the accuracy at the breakdown, and I guess the collisions when the Reds were trying to hold on to the ball."
The Highlanders wore black armbands to show support for one of the Highlanders’ sidelined locks and a treasured member of the squad, Josh Dickson, whose younger brother Sam died of cancer the night before the game.
"It’s hugely sad for Josh and his family," Dermody said.
"The boys have been heavily invested in giving everything they can. I know they’re thinking of the family. We all are. It’s a tough time for everyone."
Smith also sent a message to his grieving team-mate.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with our brother," Smith said.
"We are thinking of them, and the club is deeply saddened for Josh. We send nothing but love to the Dickson family."
- The Chiefs sealed top spot for the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs with a 31-21 win over the Brumbies on Saturday night, while winger Mark Telea scored four tries to lead the Blues to a 36-25 win over the Hurricanes.
There was a tryfest in Lautoka, where the Drua clung on for a 47-46 win over Moana Pasifika, and the Crusaders beat the Waratahs 42-18.
