Last year's stand-out winger Fetu'u Vainikolo has been dropped but the Highlanders welcome back big prop Jamie Mackintosh to face the Cheetahs at Carisbrook tomorrow.
The Highlanders have made five changes to their starting side and also made a positional change as they attempt to give the winless Cheetahs a long flight home to South Africa.
Highlanders coach Glenn Moore said the majority of the changes were made because of form with other players performing in previous weeks.
Experienced lock Tom Donnelly finally gets a start after a pre-season disrupted by injury and playing off the bench for the past two weeks.
He takes the place of Hayden Triggs, who moves to the bench.
Alando Soakai comes on to the openside flank, ahead of Tim Boys, who had an impressive match last week against the Chiefs.
But Soakai has been in fine form this year and should have all guns firing, after a week off.
Moore said Boys was unlucky but the side was very fortunate to have two top class openside flankers, and Soakai would bring good ball-handling skills to the side.
He said Donnelly was raring to go and had impressed in his last two games off the bench.
His experience and physical presence will be much needed against a Cheetahs side, which has an efficient line-out.
George Naoupu swaps places with Steven Setephano at the back of the scrum.
In the backs, Daniel Bowden moves out one place to second five-eighth while Mathew Berquist gets his first start this season in the No 10 jersey.
Bowden will still be the side's goalkicker.
He has played at second five-eighth many times in his career.
Johnny Leota moves to the bench.
Out wide, Kendrick Lynn replaces Vainikolo, while Lucky Mulipola gets a chance on the bench.
Vainikolo has struggled for form this year, and was hampered by a hamstring injury in pre-season.
He laboured at Invercargill last week and was guilty of a glaring miss when Chiefs winger Leila Masaga brushed past him to score the winning try.
With Lynn starting, the Highlanders will field a lightweight wing pairing, with Ben Smith on the right wing, but the pair have the skills to overcome any physical drawbacks.
Smith showed that with a couple of lively runs last week.
Mackintosh has made a rapid recovery from his knee injury sustained in the first game against the Brumbies on February 13, and has trained well throughout his rehabilitation.
Moore said the big prop had trained fully with the side since late last week and has been given the all clear by the medical team.
Mackintosh should get some game time.
He had initially targeted next week's match against the Bulls as his comeback match but made a speedier recovery.
The backline does have plenty of pace but is not the biggest and will have to be on its game against the South African side which as usual has plenty of size in their side.
The Cheetahs will be looking to end their long five-match tour of Australia and New Zealand on a winning note.
The side has spent the majority of the week training and relaxing in Queenstown, and arrived in Dunedin yesterday.
They will have a short run on Carisbrook this afternoon.
They have two weeks off after tomorrow's game and will want to get on the plane for the long trip home on Sunday with a winning feeling.
TEAMS FOR CARISBROOK CLASH TOMORROW:
HIGHLANDERS: Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Jason Shoemark, Daniel Bowden, Kendrick Lynn, Mathew Berquist, Jimmy Cowan (captain), George Naoupu, Alando Soakai, Adam Thomson, Tom Donnelly, Josh Bekhuis, Clint Newland, David Hall, Chris King.
Reserves: Jason Rutledge, Jamie Mackintosh, Hayden Triggs, Steven Setephano, Sean Romans, Johnny Leota, Lucky Mulipola.
CHEETAHS: Hennie Daniller, Danwel Demas, Corne Uys, Meyer Bosman, Fabian Juries, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Tewis de Bruyn, Hendro Scholtz (captain), Francois Uys, Heinrich Brussow, David de Villiers, Wayne van Heerden, Bees Roux, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez.
Reserves: Richardt Strauss, Kobus Calldo, Nico Breedt, Kabamba Floors, Sarel Pretorius, Piet van Zyl, Hanno CoetzeeCarisbrook, tomorrow, 5.30pm
