Hayden Meikle

An athletic Aucklander, a rugged Cantabrian and a long-striding Otago newcomer are lining up to be Jerry Collins' long-term replacement.

Highlanders captain Craig Newby has been cleared of serious neck damage after sustaining an injury while playing for the Barbarians in England yesterday.

To draft or not to draft is no longer the question - the issue is whether the Highlanders can persuade their bosses to alter a long-standing policy.

This was much closer than it should have been but at least the Highlanders have won their first game in a long, long time.

Jimmy Cowan knows neither he nor any of his team-mates can guarantee a win but he promises the Highlanders will not die wondering against the Lions tonight.

In the second profile in our series looking at people behind the scenes in the Highlanders camp, Hayden Meikle talks to Peter Sinclair.

What a season. The Highlanders could finish bottom of the Super 14, will certainly finish with their fewest wins if they fall to the Crusaders tonight, and are reeling from the arrests of two players. Rugby writer Hayden Meikle asks captain Craig Newby for his thoughts.

Rugby fever is building in Dunedin, with about 8000 preferential booking tickets already snapped up for the Tri-Nations test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Carisbrook on July 12.

In the often sensitive and highly political world of Dunedin club rugby, one issue can always be guaranteed to raise the most hackles.

Legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once summed up his feelings on a struggling team with an immortal phrase that can now be applied to the Highlanders.

Stuart Heal says it would be jumping the gun to predict Scotland will be based in Dunedin and the Springboks will operate out of Queenstown during the 2011 World Cup.

Chairman Stuart McLauchlan says the Highlanders' season-ending upset win against the Crusaders indicates the team and the franchise are in good hands.

Sam Anderson-Heather has played only a handful of premier games but the young Dunedin hooker is about to rub shoulders with a whole bunch of All Blacks.