Steve Hepburn

The Highlanders are not winning games in Dunedin and it seems visiting teams have no real love for the city either.

Poor at the start and average at the finish but the Highlanders did more than enough in the middle to win their first home game of the season.

Otago University, which has produced more All Blacks than any other club in the country, is struggling for numbers and says it is a victim of aggressive head-hunting by other clubs.

Highlanders star Ben Smith is happy to be playing on the wing and says he is trying to look for as much ball as possible.

Coaches say it all the time: every game is said to be a must-win.

Sam Hawke was supposed to be studying last week. Instead the 18-year-old was riding the wave of his life - a 12.5m monster off a reef in Tahiti.

Highlanders chief executive Richard Reid says the franchise is still waiting to hear from the council over where it will be re-located.

Jason Macdonald played his 50th Super 14 game on Saturday but says he and his team must treat every game now as the last one.

Some things go together: strawberries and cream, salt and vinegar.

Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan says his side just did not get the rewards for all the possession and territory it had on Saturday night.

Highlanders coach Glenn Moore took something positive from his side's loss to the Bulls yesterday but says poor one-on-one tackling cost his side dearly.

Otago will get a dry run against Southland only weeks before it takes on the same side in a Ranfurly Shield challenge in August.

Robbie Robinson admits he was twiddling his thumbs when this week's Highlanders team was read out.

New law interpretations were supposed to mean more running and less kicking this season.

Former Highlanders scrum coach Steve Cumberland is extending his Japanese stay but says plenty of players and coaches have fallen by the wayside.