And, facing the top-of-the-table Bulls, they are going to have to.
With the bye next week and sitting in a log jam of teams in mid table, the Highlanders really need to win tonight to keep their post-season hopes alive.
It is the classical make-or-break game for the eighth-placed side.
Players such as captain Jimmy Cowan, No 8 George Naoupu, and lock Tom Donnelly - all up against seasoned internationals - need big games tonight against an unbeaten Bulls outfit.
The South Africans, who re-defined the term winning ugly in their victory over the Hurricanes last week, are fast becoming what most teams, including the Highlanders, want to be - winners in games they have no right to win.
The match will be a first in New Zealand - a "home" game played outside the franchise district.
The Highlanders have embraced the promotion, with coach Glenn Moore saying the game had to look for new ideas and playing a game like this was exactly that.
It is hard to see what on-field advantage the Highlanders will get from the match being played in Palmerston North, but home advantage seems to have little bearing in this competition any more.
The Bulls play an uncomplicated game - hard-driving, committed forwards, a good kicking halfback and first five-eighth, and a rugged and blanket defence.
But they do it well.
The Highlanders need to be close to 100% accurate, make their tackles and retain the ball.
Such is the closeness of the competition and the quality of defence it is the ability to minimise mistakes which leads to victories.
The key to the Highlanders' game, and most other sides, is getting continuity and Moore said the side had gained confidence from last week's convincing 32-8 win over the Cheetahs.
Continuity is gained by winning the breakdown contest so the likes of Naoupu, Adam Thomson and Alando Soakai are vital.
"None of these games are easy and the Bulls are top of the table for a reason.
"But we've trained well this week and that comes off training particularly well last week," Moore said.
"The guys are up for the challenge and want to put in a top performance.
"We just have to play good field position and territory and make the best use of the ball."
Moore said the placing of Daniel Bowden at second five-eighth, outside Mathew Berquist, was worth perservering with, and had brought subtle variations to the side's performance last week.
Bowden would start as goal kicker.
He had missed the first few shots last week before handing over to Berquist, but Moore said Bowden suffered an injury early in the match last week which affected his kicking.
Bowden and Berquist are both good organisers but their defence will be severely tested tonight, with the likes of impressive Bulls No 8 Pierre Spies sure to be running at them.
Moore said it was tough on prop Chris King to be put to the bench as Jamie Mackintosh regained fitness but Mackintosh was an All Black prop and the side's vice-captain so had to be included.
Moore said wingers Ben Smith and Kendrick Lynn were not power wingers but had good skills, speed and were good under the high ball, which would be essential against a kicking team such as the Bulls.
The Bulls have been training in Wellington all week.
This will be their second game of a five-game tour.
The weather is expected to be fine, with showers earlier in the day.
Manawatu officials are expecting a crowd of about 10,000.
