Injured Highlanders Jimmy Cowan and Jamie Mackintosh did not train yesterday but coach Glenn Moore says it is still too early to rule them out for Friday night's game against the Hurricanes.
Twenty minutes of Super 14 rugby brilliance subsided into a hugely frustrating opening night for the Highlanders who crashed to a 31-33 loss to the ACT Brumbies in Dunedin tonight.
Highlanders coach Glenn Moore was left ruing his side's inability to close out games after last night's heart-breaking loss.
It may sound a touch desperate but tonight's match really is a must-win for the Highlanders.
Daniel Bowden has been handed the goal-kicking duties for the Highlanders tomorrow night and believes he is a wiser player for this year's Super 14.
He has played 96 tests and 107 Super rugby games but George Smith feels like he can go on forever.
In years gone by, the best team won the Super 14.
Why only one South African side has won the Super 14 title is a bit of a mystery.
There is plenty of potential but also lots of question marks hanging over the four Australian Super 14 sides.
Kendrick Lynn admits he is one of a dying breed among outside backs - he is still very much a middleweight, and does not come from the the Pacific Islands.
A nightmare five minutes which saw Otago United concede three goals led to the home side falling to a 4-2 loss to Wellington at Sunnyvale yesterday.
The Otago Rugby Football Union has achieved a million dollar turnaround, with chief executive Richard Reid calling it a "fantastic achievement", but warning there is plenty of hard work ahead.
Just three days ahead of the Highlanders' first Super 14 match, there are still question marks over the availability of two backs.
A goal in the first minute of the second half killed off any hope Otago United had of scoring an upset win over league leader Waitakere United in Auckland yesterday.
Highlanders coach Glenn Moore says his side took a big step forward in its match against the Blues on Thursday.
Otago United coach Terry Phelan says his side has nothing to fear in facing top-of-the-table Waitakere United in Auckland today.
The University club wants a new chairman of the Otago Rugby Football Union but it appears Dunedin clubs are not united in getting two new members on to the union's board.
Otago loose forward Paul Grant says he is the fittest he has ever been but will find out in the two days if he is fit enough.
Josh Bekhuis is new to full-time rugby but suddenly he may have to take on the mantle of a seasoned professional.
The season proper has not even started but injuries are already making an impact on Super 14 sides.
