The Otago University club is not holding up the white flag despite embarrassing losses by its flagship team over the past two weeks.
University A was thumped 70-3 by Southern on Saturday, following a 51-13 loss to Taieri at Easter.
The weekend's defeat was the heaviest for the students since the club was formed in 1884.
University A, which has won more banners than any other Dunedin club and produced the most All Blacks of any New Zealand club, has lost its last three games and won only two of six games this season.
"We are not in crisis," a defiant University A coach John Hyde said yesterday.
"The club is in good heart and the morale is high."
University A won its 48th banner under coach John Leslie last year. But Hyde knew it would be a more difficult task this year because 16 members of last year's squad had left Dunedin.
The situation has been made worse because three members of the squad - Rob Verbakel, Paul Grant and Guy Schwikkard - are touring Australia with the New Zealand Universities team.
Two other key squad members, Matt Faddes (hamstring) and Brad Cameron (ankle), were also selected for the tour but had to withdraw because of injury.
There are also injuries to six other players in the squad.
The injury list includes flying winger David Thompson, who has scored 30 tries for the students in the past three years but who has not played this season because of a shoulder injury.
To make matters worse, it is the Easter vacation and substitutes from University B and the Colts team are not available.
University vacation and capping are the traditional times when University A gets beaten.
Hyde said the club was vibrant this year and was fielding five teams in Dunedin competitions: University A, University B in premier 2, two colts teams and a women's team. There was only one colts team last year.
Against Southern on Saturday, the students were still in the game after 30 minutes when they trailed 12-3. They were attacking 5m from the Southern line when a turnover allowed Southern to counter-attack and score a 95m try.
"Southern is a very well-drilled team and deserved to win," Hyde said.
University A beat Southern 97-6 early in 1993 but the Magpies took stock and improved during the season and played the students again in the final.