The traditional mantra of taking each game as it comes has been jettisoned, but that does not mean Northern Ireland will be underestimated tonight.
It is just that the significance of playing and maybe beating England is so great for Wales they cannot put it entirely out of their minds.
Midfielder Savage said: "If we can get three points tonight then we have four from six and that sets us up nicely for the big one.
"To pull on that red shirt at Old Trafford against England is about as good as it gets."
It is no exaggeration to say that the prospect of that game and the return in Cardiff in September next year has helped keep Hughes and his squad together.
These are exciting times for Wales but before they were drawn in Group Six last December the future looked bleak.
Just two weeks earlier they had narrowly missed out on a place at the finals of Euro 2004 following a playoff defeat by Russia.
Hughes felt like he had failed and was mulling over his future as ageing but key figures, including Gary Speed, Paul Jones and Andy Melville, thought about retirement.
The Wales manager could have easily moved into club football and his talented squad were on the verge of breaking up.
Savage said: "As soon as the draw was made and England came out, that was it. Nobody had to think about retirement then."
And Hughes said: "There was a fantastic reaction to the make-up of the group. It was perfect for us in many respects after the disappointment of the Russia game. The players would have thought that was the natural end to the period but the draw came together to enable them to carry on, which I am very grateful for."
Savage is 29 and believes this may be his last qualifying campaign for Wales. There are other players in a similar position to the Birmingham City man and every member of the Wales squad is aware their country have not qualified for major finals since 1958.
By the end of summer 2006 the players and management will have changed radically and there is a definite air of last chance about this Welsh group.
But combined with the England factor and the country's improvements in the past few years, that makes them hungry rather than desperate.
Savage said: "Expectations for Wales are getting pretty high now. We have only been beaten once in eight games and we have played some quality-teams over the past three years. "We have some high standards to live up to from the Euro 2004 campaign. People think we should be up there attempting to qualify in the top two and I feel we can. We have learned from that experience and I think we are stronger now."
Tonight will be a good test as Wales are clear favourites to win even without Ryan Giggs, who is suspended, and Simon Davies, who has a shin injury.
But with the focus shifting towards the next game, it should be noted that both should be back for the big one.
Wales v Northern Ireland, 8pm tonight - live on Sky Sports 2
