Coach Jamie Joseph believes the Highlanders must be prepared for a much stronger Chiefs pack when they play their Super 15 opener in Hamilton on Saturday night.
Joseph insists the Chiefs pack is much stronger than in recent years and that the Highlanders will need to be on their mettle to combat it.
"Their forwards have been their Achilles heel in the recent past but these coaches have selected a hard-working group and they've shown in the pre-season they're going to be a force.
"The Chiefs are going to be well-prepared, their forwards are on fire and they've got a strong defence with Wayne Smith in charge.
"We respect them. Their pack has turned things around and they scored four or five tries from lineouts and mauls against the Rebels.
"It's going to be a great battle. There is plenty of firepower in the backs with the likes of Brendon Leonard, Aaron Cruden, Sonny Bill Williams, Richard Kahui and others."
Hamilton has not been a happy hunting ground for the Highlanders and they lost 7-20 to the Chiefs there last year.
The Highlanders won their first three games last year and Joseph said it would be a boost to win early to gain and maintain momentum.
"You develop confidence if you win early games. But if we're going to be any good we're going to have to keep getting up throughout the season.
"There is always something special about the first game of the season. It tends to be a measure of your pre-season. We've been hampered with injuries and it's been disruptive but my feeling is the guys really want to get out and play. I don't think there will be any lack of desire. We'll just have to see whether that is enough."
Nine players are not available for Highlanders' selection. They include Colin Slade, Shaun Treeby, Kenny Lynn, Kade Poki, Siale Piutau, Jarrad Hoeata and Ma'afu Fia while Tamati Ellison and James Haskell are still on their way back from Japan.
"It's a different level of rugby that Tamati and James have been playing but they're probably better prepared than the others because they've played a lot of rugby."
Ellison and Haskell will not be considered for selection for the Chiefs but they should be available for the second round match against the Crusaders on March 3.
There are likely to be five new Highlanders in the backline on Saturday with Kurt Baker at fullback, Hosea Gear and Buxton Popoali'i on the wings and Phil Burleigh and Chris Noakes as the five-eighths.
Popoali'i and Burleigh have been drafted into the Highlanders to cover injuries.
Veteran All Black Andrew Hore, who began his career with Otago, will be the only new Highlander in the forwards.
Likely Highlanders team: Baker, Popoali'i, Ben Smith, Burleigh, Gear, Noakes, Jimmy Cowan, Nasi Manu, John Hardie, Adam Thomson, Josh Bekhuis, Nick Crosswell, Chris King or Bronson Murray, Hore, Jamie Mackintosh (captain).