The four points Marty Banks stole from the Chiefs in Hamilton were crucial. Photo / Getty Images
The four points Marty Banks stole from the Chiefs in Hamilton were crucial. Photo / Getty Images
Two short seasons ago, the Highlanders were in disarray.
They had slumped to an ignominious second-to-last finish and recorded their worst points differential in the process, while high-profile signings Ma'a Nonu and Tony Woodcock were deemed unquestionable busts and coach Jamie Joseph faced calls for his head.
Two seasons later,the Highlanders are one win away from playing in their second Super Rugby final. After finishing fourth and knocking out the Chiefs last weekend, only tomorrow night's trip to Sydney and an encounter with the Waratahs stands between Joseph's side and the showpiece.
So how did the southern side ascend to the summit of the competition with the apparent ease of a skier enjoying a Coronet Peak chairlift?
Well, looks can be deceiving, because there was nothing easy about the franchise's resurgence. And it's taken significantly longer than two years to achieve.
In many ways, the annus horribilis in 2013 was little more than an aberration; a mere bump on the steady path towards the post-season Joseph proceeded to lay after assuming coaching responsibilities in 2011.
The former All Black's introduction came as part of a complete overhaul of the franchise, which had separated itself from the Otago Rugby Football Union, a rarity among the New Zealand Super Rugby sides. The move allowed the model of the business to change and drastically improved a financial situation that had been perilous the previous year.
The improved fiscal state, coupled with an amended player evaluation system, allowed the Highlanders to secure the spine of this season's side.
Dunedin born-and-bred Ben Smith, on the verge of breaking out as an All Black, was locked down, alongside fellow co-captain Nasi Manu. Talented New Zealand under-20 representative Lima Sopoaga was lured south from Wellington, while nuggety Manawatu halfback Aaron Smith was another pinched from under the noses of the Hurricanes.
Introducing the latter duo alongside the former pair, Joseph's first season in charge of the franchise produced an eighth-place finish and, although that might sound middling, it was their best since 2006. The following year brought stabilisation, if not obvious progress, with the Highlanders ending the campaign in ninth and feeling they were in the position for a playoff push.
Then came the nadir of 2013 and, while the players were poor on the field, the board made the most prudent - and most important - decision in the five-year revival. They retained Joseph, despite clamouring from a media and public more accustomed to the quick-fire coaching dismissals that are the mark of an instant gratification culture.
With all the usual concessions about hindsight, to call that decision correct is an understatement. The Highlanders acknowledged they had dropped the ball - attempting to accelerate a steady process with the aid of a couple of big names - but they simply scooped it back up and kept progressing.
The following season produced the franchise's first playoff berth in 12 years and, if that was akin to a victory in itself, the platform had been established for a proper push for the title in 2015.
Continuity helped that push, with the Highlanders returning 11 of the 15 men who started the previous season's narrow quarter-final loss to the Sharks, but so did a ring-in.
Following in the fine tradition of Malakai Fekitoa, Waisake Naholo flourished in life as a Blues cast-off, leading the competition with 11 tries and further proving the Highlanders' superior scouting abilities.
Fekitoa and Naholo fitted seamlessly into a team culture that, led by Smith and Manu, reflected the grassroots nature of the provinces that form the franchise while also focusing on the tight-knit character of the Dunedin community.
If that culture is captured anywhere, it's in a pack that featured no All Blacks but last week out-muscled a star-studded Chiefs pack.
The Highlanders led the competition with 15 tries from scrum moves, scoring 57 per cent of their 56 tries from a solid set piece. When combined with a pair of Fijian wings and a pair of sparkplug Smiths, it was no shock to see the Highlanders record the competition's third-best attack this season.
And it was similarly unsurprising, given their systematic and savvy blueprint, for the Highlanders to climb from 14th to the final four in the space of two short seasons.
The Waratahs will be without star playmaker Kurtley Beale. Beale has been battling a quadriceps injury, only managing a brief jog yesterday.
5 defining moments of the Highlanders' season
The four points Marty Banks stole from the Chiefs in Hamilton were crucial. Photo / Getty Images
1. Robbery by Banks The four points Marty Banks stole from the Chiefs in Hamilton were crucial. Trailing 17-14 with five minutes to play, Banks locked up the scores with a clutch penalty then knocked over the winner with the last kick of the game.
2. Beating big brother The Crusaders had won six straight matches against their southern rivals. But the Highlanders rebuffed history by overcoming a 14-3 deficit to score three unanswered tries and emerge triumphant at AMI Stadium.
3. Ten points from tough trip Throwing away a huge first-half lead against the Lions was hardly an ideal way to begin a road trip to the Republic. But, instead of being fazed, the Highlanders rebounded to thump the Cheetahs, swat aside the Force and take 10 points back to Dunedin.
4. Bashing the Blues It was only the Blues but when the Highlanders needed a comprehensive result, they provided it. Heading into the final round locked with the Chiefs and almost level on points differential, the 40-point thumping of the Blues essentially sealed home advantage for the quarter-finals.
5. Knocking out the two-time champs Having added a thrashing to their come-from-behind victory, the Highlanders went searching for a third win over the Chiefs to truly establish their playoff bona fides. And, under an intense spotlight, they won a tight tussle to dispatch a side teeming with playoff experience.
