Steve Hepburn

New Otago United coach Malcolm Fleming believes he should have been given the job months ago, but any suggestion Terry Phelan was sacked has been rejected by the club.

Forget about competition points and forget about playing for future contracts.

Victoria Beck has just been on a homestay visit around Europe, with a couple of gruelling duathlons thrown in for good measure.

Charlie Hore has come off the farm in Patearoa to lend a hand to an ailing Otago backline.

The Air New Zealand Cup may be more of a staying race than a sprint, but Otago needs to be first past the post against Hawkes Bay in Napier today.

Otago is 12th out of 14 teams but coach Steve Martin says he is not feeling any extra pressure, nor is the side lacking passion.

Otago lock Tom Donnelly admits to being in a bit of a daze when he ran out to make his All Black debut in Wellington on Saturday night.

Jason Macdonald brought up his 50th cap for Otago last week but it came a distant second as far as highlights went over the past seven days.

You can take Peter Breen out of North Otago but you cannot take the province out of Peter Breen - well, its rugby team anyway.

Another All Black winter season has concluded Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks back at the season and wonders how the side is looking two years out from the tournament that really matters.

Otago coach Steve Martin has received full backing from his bosses.

Too strong, too classy and just too good.