The Otago selectors have named a predictable team to compete in the national interprovincial team tournament on the Ngamotu course in New Plymouth from November 28 to December 3.
Otago finished second to Canterbury at the South Island team event at St Clair last weekend but matched the winner with 23 games each over the four rounds.
Otago has lost Brent McEwan to retirement and Duncan Croudis to the professional ranks while Nick Borren is not available this year.
The new-look team has the ability to perform well and possibly match Otago's record in 2014 and 2015 when the quintet made the finals.
Fraser MacLachlan (Millbrook) played at No1 last weekend and four wins over the best in the South Island put him among the island's top players.
Before moving to the South, Maclachlan played at No2 for Wellington and made his Otago debut at No4 last year.
Brandon Hodgson (Otago) was in top form last weekend at No4 and has been promoted to No2 for the national event.
Inia Logan (17) had a tough weekend at St Clair with four losses but is one of New Zealand's top juniors and should perform well at No3.
Michael Smith (38) makes a welcome return to the top five having last played an interprovincial tournament at Balmacewen four years ago.
He has played at No2, or once at No3 in recent years, and is looking forward to playing at No4 in New Plymouth.
He played at No5 last weekend and showed the fighting qualities the selection panel was looking for.
Chris Snow was the stalwart of the team last year, helping the team win the SBS Bank invitational as well as making the final of the interprovincial at Otatara in Invercargill. He had five wins last year and will captain the team this year.
No7 Ryan Bellamy and No8 Michael Ormandy both had four wins at St Clair and the selectors have opted for Bellamy as the team reserve.
