Less time in the gym and more time on the paddock is the emphasis for the Otago squad this year.
Otago coach Steve Martin said, after training at Logan Park yesterday, he wanted the team to spend more time on the paddock working on rugby-specific skills.
"By spending time on the paddock we are conditioning for the game," he said.
He was not ignoring the role of the gym in increasing players' strength, but having the team out on the field helped team conditioning and was more about the game.
Martin said the emphasis on gym work had come from strength-and-conditioning coaches the team had used in recent years.
Their role had been scaled back this year.
The squad is training three times a week.
Its first warm-up game is on July 12 against Southland at Tahuna Park.
The injury list is lengthy, but many complaints are minor and most players should be available for next week.
South African loose forward Eben Joubert has the worst injury, a broken ring finger, and he will not play for six weeks.
Loose forward Craig Newby is back running after a neck injury but still has nerve tingles in one arm.
He hopes to be available for the first game in the Air New Zealand Cup, against Southland in Invercargill on August 2.
Backs Daniel Bowden and Andrew Parata have taken knocks to the head and will not play club rugby tomorrow; neither will Steven Setephano, who has a niggly shoulder.
Prop-hooker Jed Vercoe has a sprained elbow and will also miss club rugby, while hooker Peter Mirrielees has a slight ankle problem.
No 8 Ezra Taylor had his first jog yesterday after a serious knee injury and hopes to be back sometime next month.
Martin said he hoped to talk to Southland co-coach David Henderson about using 24 players for the July 12 match.
The three spare players in the squad might be freed to play club rugby on that day.
Otago's next and only other warm-up game is away to Wellington on July 18.
Wellington is coached by former Otago players Jamie Joseph and Andre Bell.
Otago players will be freed to play in the Dunedin club final on July 26.
Martin said he was pleased with the intensity shown in training and the enthusiasm brought to the team by the younger players.
He had concerns about depth at fullback and openside flanker, but said there was exciting talent across the park.
The squad will be finalised and trimmed to 26 about July 20.
