Steve Hepburn

It is a sobering thought. Perhaps sobering is not the right word; terrifying, more like, for Otago supporters.

This 80 minutes summed up Otago's season.

Otago skipper Alando Soakai says there is frustration over his first season in charge and admits the captaincy has affected his own game.

Good things come to those who wait.

Six months ago, Glen Horton was working on his dad's farm in Taihape and did not even know where and when he would get back on a rugby field.

Otago has rearranged its backline and made a couple of changes in the forward pack for its final game of the season against Counties-Manukau at Carisbrook tomorrow.

These three could never be accused of being bandwagon jumpers - not when one of them first went to Carisbrook in 1946.

Ross Laidlaw has just been handed one of the biggest jobs in southern rugby. But the new Highlanders chairman tells rugby writer Steve Hepburn he would not have taken the job on if it had not been a challenge.

Ross Laidlaw has been named as the new Highlanders chairman.

An excellent opening 40 minutes sealed what in the end was a comfortable win for Otago over Tasman at a wet and gloomy Carisbrook on Saturday.

There were a few surprises and not only in the names read out by All Black coach Graham Henry yesterday for the trip to Japan and Europe. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the team and the moves away from the selection field.

Highlanders chairman Stuart McLauchlan is standing down from the position, denying he was pushed and saying he does not have enough time to dedicate to the role.

Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the record of Otago and the Highlanders over the past couple of years and wonders why there are so many what-might-have-beens.

A year ago, Kees Meeuws never thought he would bring up 50 games for Otago.

Otago's outside back resources are looking thin, with three players in doubt for Saturday's Air New Zealand Cup game against Tasman at Carisbrook.