Before the season kicked off, the prospects of such a good start looked grim. The squad was ravaged by injury, and all three pre-season games were lost.
The Highlanders won just three games in both 2008 and 2010. They have already won more this year and the season is only a quarter over.
It is the same start fashioned by the team in 1999 and 2000, and both times the side went to the playoffs.
Any talk of that, though, is premature and it is a sign of the maturity of the Highlanders and the increasing standards sought from both the players and management that there was no back-slapping after the 19-17 win over the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night.
"We didn't play very well. We are pretty happy with the win and we are getting used to the games being tight but we just did not play that well," Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said.
"We executed what we wanted to do well in that first half and we got the points. We had a few disruptions in our lineout which led to a few mistakes.
"Those little wee things let the opposition back into the game. So that was a real disappointing thing."
The breakdown was a mess throughout the 80 minutes and Joseph felt it was not helped by having a different referee in each half.
He felt the game needed a try early in the second half to blow it open and the Highlanders were unlucky to get a five-pointer ruled out for a forward pass when winger Kade Poki went over.
"The arm wrestle might have changed then. In the end it was another tough battle."
He felt the Highlanders had dropped back over the last week after a gutsy win over the Waratahs, which was disappointing, but the team hung in there to grab the win.
"You can create enough rugby to win the game and then you make some silly mistakes and you end up losing the game.
"So in that degree we were pleased to win."
As for that unbeaten start to the season, Joseph was not getting ahead of himself.
"I know it is a cliche and I say it every week but we just take it week to week . . . but I'm pretty happy with the depth of my squad.
"The guy who has been out for three weeks managed to stand up and kick the winning goal."
Highlanders flanker Adam Thomson also said the match was pretty messy, but it was a victory.
"It was far from polished but the good thing is we are winning when we have to win.
"That is a sign of a team on the improve when you win games when you don't really play that well," Thomson said.
"The whole game was pretty scrappy from both teams ... I think we are just getting a bit smarter.
"We've always had that work-hard attitude and we have probably been guilty at times of panicking. But we are closing games down well and backing our defence and not giving away penalties.
"It is a great start. I don't think many people would have given us much of a chance of going four from four.
"We have turned the corner in terms of being a bit smarter in terms of winning games."
The Highlanders now travel to Canberra to play the Brumbies, who were beaten for the first time this season on Friday night, by the Chiefs.
The Highlanders wore their controversial green jersey in Wellington to mark St Patrick's Day, and the strip is scheduled to be worn again this week.
In other games over the weekend, the Blues spoiled their minor resurgence by losing 27-17 to the Stormers in Cape Town, the Force upset the Waratahs 21-20 in Sydney, and the defending champions, the Reds, suffered their first loss of the season, beaten 27-22 by the Sharks in Durban.
In Melbourne last night, the Cheetahs downed the Rebels 33-26.
