It was a season which started so well, peaked at Easter, then fell away somewhat at the end. But it was still a season of real progress for the Highlanders, under new coach Jamie Joseph. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks back on the season.
There is a line in the classic novel The Catcher in the Rye where lead character Holden Caulfield describes a school colleague.
He says he is the sort of guy who would want to know who was on the lifeboat when he was rescued from a deserted island. Such was his fussiness, and his ability to find the bad among all the good.
And that was sort of how the Highlanders fans went this season.
Supporters had been stranded on an island of mediocrity for years. They would have happily jumped aboard any boat that came along if it promised a few wins. And they did.
But just past halfway through the season, after the win against the Crusaders in Nelson, the expectation increased - a sense of wanting to know who was on the boat and where it was headed.
With a chance to get into the playoffs, fans started to take wins for granted. Even the TAB had them at $1.10 to beat the lowly Lions.
That the season ended with four straight losses was a bit of a letdown, as the Highlanders hit some rough water.
But that month of defeats should not take away all the good that has come from this season.
The Highlanders are fully awake, they have left the island of gloom, people are talking about them, and there were some memorable performances.
If someone had predicted an eighth placing and wins over the Bulls and the Crusaders away from home at the start of the season, then it would have almost been time for the straitjacket to be called.
But they did and to chalk up eight wins in the season was testament to some fine work both on and off the field.
Remember they did all this without their first choice No 10 Colin Slade, who was out for the vast majority of the season.
Their goal-kicking was awful at times, so to still be in playoff contention with two games left in the season was a fantastic achievement.
But they deserved all that came to them. They worked hard during the week, having sessions at the Edgar Centre early in the week, to work through moves and discuss strategies for the coming game.
Then on the paddock they gave their all, throwing their bodies on the line, and never giving in.
The side also lost much of the problems which had blighted the Highlanders in recent years - bad handling, poor options and the ability to snare a defeat when victory seemed more straightforward.
Being in the New Zealand conference also meant no easy games.
There were no Rebels to run over twice, although the side did not get to play heavyweights the Reds or the Sharks, because of the vagaries of the draw.
It had a simple game plan which was often effective against teams full of flighty players.
But near the end of the season, players got tired, and a few of them were found out as not being quite good enough.
Players such as Kade Poki, Chris King and Jarrad Hoeata were revitalised by coming to the Highlanders.
Fullback Ben Smith was the outstanding player for the side.
He broke countless tackles, was good at taking every opportunity to come along and was superb in the close win over the Hurricanes in Invercargill.
Poki was a livewire in the opening games until a knee injury became too much, while Shaun Treeby and Kendrick Lynn were solid in midfield.
Losing Slade was obviously a big blow and those that replaced him had deficiencies, not least the inability to find the goal posts.
Jimmy Cowan was his usual dependable self and played exceptionally well both times in Invercargill.
Up front, Nasi Manu enjoyed being injury free and was still running strongly at the end of the season. Alando Soakai never put in a bad performance and got through a power of work.
Adam Thomson was simply fantastic in the first month and though he slowed down as the season wound down, he still surely did enough to wear a black jersey.
Josh Bekhuis and Jarrad Hoeata played well enough to keep out All Black Tom Donnelly, although Donnelly probably deserved a turn more often than he got.
The front row was fine, although the scrum was never rock solid and went backwards near the end of the season.
Captain Jamie Mackintosh was much more mobile this year although he will never win the scrummager of the year title.
Now next year awaits. The Highlanders do not want the dreaded second season syndrome, when they stand still or even go backwards.
Everyone knows they need a couple of game-breakers, to win those games where there is little between the teams.
Hopefully someone of that quality will head south and the Highlanders will take the next step.
In a new stadium, with one or two welcome additions, the Highlanders can become a force next year.
Season in review
Best performance
v Crusaders, Nelson
Went up to Nelson with a supposedly weakened side but playing with some real ticker, and taking all the chances that came their way, the Highlanders simply did not allow the Crusaders to play and chalked up a mighty victory.
Worst performance
v Lions, Carisbrook
This was the start of the slide. A limited Lions side came to Carisbrook and met a strangely subdued Highlanders team which never got out of first gear and made far too many sloppy errors.
Top points-scorers
Lima Sopoaga: 13 pen, 3 con, try - 50 points (60% goalkicking success rate)
Robbie Robinson: 9 pen, 7 con, try - 46 points (55%)
Tony Brown: 7 pen, 5 con, 1 drop goal - 34 points (46%)
Overall kicking percentage: 49/88 (56%)
Try-scorers: Thomson 6, Poki 4, Rutledge 4, Piutau 3, Paterson 2, Ben Smith 2, Saunders 2, Sopoaga 1, Manu 1, Bekhuis 1, Mackintosh 1, Lynn 1, Soakai 1, Robinson 1, Treeby 1 - 31 tries.
Opposition scored 34 tries, 41 pen, 25 con.
Player appearances (substitution appearances in brackets): Ben Smith 16, Lynn 16, Hoeata 16, Manu 16, Mackintosh 16 (1), Cowan 15 (2), Bekhuis 15 (1), King 14 (1), Rutledge 14 (5), Soakai 14 (2), Piutau 14 (2), Thomson 13, Schwalger 12 (7), Crosswell 12 (11), Treeby 12, Aaron Smith 12 (9), Poki 11, Robinson 10 (6), Hardie 10 (8), Donnelly 10 (3), Murray 10 (9), Brown 8 (3), Sopoaga 6, Paterson 5, Saunders 4 (2), Veainu 4 (3), Te Moana 3, Mitchell 2 (2), Aulika 1 (1), Atiga 1 (1), Boys 1 (1).
Best three players
Ben Smith: Started the season as something of a forgotten man nationally but by the end was the one of the best backs in the competition. Continually broke the line, great at running the ball back and also a solid defender. On this form alone should by wearing an All Black jersey.
Adam Thomson: Had a dream start, and was all over the paddock, picking up six tries after just eight games. Lowered by a nasty rib injury, he was a tad slower when he came back but never missed a tackle and got his hands on the ball more than previous seasons.
Jarrad Hoeata: Played every game, and was still running in the last game as hard as the first. A strong force at the breakdown, he won his share of lineout ball and looked more a lock than a blindside flanker.
The forgotten men
Joe Tuinea, Sean Romans and Elliot Dixon did not play one minute of the season, while Halani Aulika had a whole two minutes of work against the Cheetahs. Tim Boys came on for six minutes against the Crusaders and managed to split his head open.
What needs to be done ?
1. Sign a couple of stars
It has been talked about a lot but for the Highlanders to be more competitive the side need someone to blow games open. A Hosea Gear, Ma'a Nonu, a fit Kade Poki. Game-breakers do exactly that. Break open - and win - games.
2. Play well the whole season
The season is long and will get longer next year thanks to a break mid-year for internationals. Players have to be managed throughout the year. How do you do that? Get more depth in the squad, and that will not come quickly.
3. Keep Slade on the park
He was going to be the key man for the Highlanders this season yet played only 126 minutes. If Colin Slade can stay on the park next year, the Highlanders will be a much better side.
For the record
Highlanders in 2011
• Played 16, won 8, lost 8.
• Points for 306, Points against 343, finished eighth.
v Hurricanes: Wellington, won 14-9
v Chiefs: Carisbrook, won 23-13
v Bulls: Pretoria, won 35-28
v Stormers: Cape Town, lost 18-6
v Crusaders: Carisbrook, lost 44-13
v Brumbies: Invercargill, won 26-20
v Cheetahs: Carisbrook, won 24-21
v Rebels: Melbourne, won 40-18
v Crusaders: Nelson, won 26-18
v Blues: Carisbrook, lost 15-10
v Chiefs: Hamilton, lost 20-7
v Hurricanes: Invercargill, won 13-6
v Lions: Carisbrook, lost 26-22
v Force: Carisbrook, lost 21-14
v Waratahs: Sydney, lost 33-7
