They had just three All Blacks in their starting side, none in the pack, and much of their squad was cobbled together from cast-offs, other team's second stringers or players discarded before they had a chance to prove their credentials.
Two years ago they finished 14th in the 15-team competition after winning just three games despite an aggressive recruitment strategy that brought All Blacks Tony Woodcock, Ma'a Nonu and Brad Thorn to Dunedin.
Critics were calling for coach Jamie Joseph's head after that season, one they had started as favourites to win the New Zealand conference.
Joseph felt a long list of injuries and the fact the management staff were all relatively new to their positions had hampered that campaign, while also accepting he had made some decisions that were not quite right.
"In hindsight, I made some calls two years ago that I thought were going to be better for the Highlanders and clearly they weren't," Joseph told reporters after the 21-14 victory over the Hurricanes at Wellington Regional Stadium.
Joseph weathered the storm and set about doing what he had done in 2011 and 2012, building a team culture that relied not only on the work of the 23 on the field but the other players in the squad to succeed.
They made the playoffs last year but lost to the Sharks in Durban, and finished fourth this season, despite having the second-best overall points tally.
Joseph refused to single out any particular players for praise, though he felt co-captains Ben Smith and Nasi Manu were "the heart and soul" of the team.
"This year there was real resolve within our team, real honesty, and you saw that," he said.
"It's a reflection of what Ben and Nasi have created. We call it 'one to 39' so everyone is contributing and that's important in a long campaign."
The rewards came in 2015.
Flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and winger Waisake Naholo last week joined centre Malakai Fekitoa, scrumhalf Aaron Smith and fullback Ben Smith in an extended 41-man All Blacks squad.
Seven others, Kurt Baker, Jason Emery, Elliot Dixon, Josh Hohneck, Brendon Edmonds, Shane Christie and Ash Dixon were named in the Maori All Blacks squad for their matches against Fiji and the New Zealand Barbarians.
The Highlanders first title in 20 years of Super Rugby was greeted with euphoria in Dunedin on Sunday.
Local media reported that up to 10,000 people had turned out at the airport to welcome the team home and a parade around the city allowed thousands more to celebrate with the players.
"There has been a long time since there was some success in the Deep South," Joseph said.
"I think it will mean a hell of a lot to the whole region."
(Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
