Both teams were named yesterday for the first-round clash in the Air New Zealand Cup at Rugby Park tomorrow afternoon.
The Otago starting side includes only one new cap, Highlanders winger Lucky Mulipola, who has transferred to the union from Tasman.
Other new signings from outside the union, Steven Setephano and Daniel Bowden, will not play, with Setephano nursing a calf injury while Bowden has bruised ribs sustained during a warm-up game against Wellington two weeks ago.
Dan Snee and Hoani Matenga will take the field for Otago for the first time if they get a run off the bench.
Winger Karne Hesketh is bracketed with Ben Smith, with a decision likely on Hesketh's fitness today.
Fullback Glen Horton and prop Keith Cameron, who both missed the side's two warm-up matches because of commitments with the New Zealand Maori team, are back in the side.
Horton lines up for his first start at fullback in the Otago jersey since last September, while Cameron is part of a solid front row, joined by hooker Jason Macdonald and Jed Vercoe.
Captain Craig Newby, who will start at openside flanker, has shed a bit of weight to adapt to the position.
It will be Newby's first game of competitive rugby since injuring his neck in a game in the United Kingdom in May.
Martin acknowledged the match would be tough and Southland was talking up its chances.
He said Otago was not rebuilding; rather, it was going through a transition phase which had affected the Otago union at both A and B level.
There were 23 players not available for Otago from last year's A and B sides.
In previous years, this game has been called a prospective Highlanders trial, but with the franchise looking more towards the draft, and the match taking place in the opening round of the competition, it is more about now, not a team to be picked in three months.
The Stags have been hit with injuries.
Fullback-first five-eighth James Wilson broke his leg playing against North Harbour in the final warm-up game last week, and is out for at least eight weeks.
Outside back Tony Koonwaiyou broke his leg in his second game, after arriving in Southland last month, and will not be sighted this season, while No 8 Iona Sipa broke his arm in the same club match and is unlikely to play this year.
Captain Jamie Mackintosh is struggling with a foot injury, and will not play tomorrow.
Former Otago midfield back Jason Kawau will take over the captaincy.
Other former Otago players in the Southland side are winger Matt Saunders, flanker Tim Boys and prop Chris King.
Air NZ CupTeams
Otago: Glen Horton, Karne Hesketh or Ben Smith, Brett Mather, Aaron Bancroft, Lucky Mulipola, Chris Noakes, Toby Morland, Paul Grant, Craig Newby (captain), Seko Qaraniqio, Tom Donnelly, Ross Kennedy, Jed Vercoe, Jason Macdonald, Keith Cameron.
Reserves: Peter Mirrielees, Jeremy Aldworth, Uili Kolo'ofai, Hoani Matenga, Sean Romans, Dan Snee, Ben Smith or Casey Stone.
Southland: Mark Wells, Matt Saunders, Kendrick Lynn, Jason Kawau (captain), Pehi Te Whare, Blair Stewart, Dane Shelford, Noa Soqeta, Tim Boys, Hoani MacDonald, Daniel Ramsay, Josh Bekius, Chris King, Matt Hollaway, Fai Mika.
Reserves: Jason Rutledge, Michael Peterson, Dion Bates, Hua Tamariki or John Hardie, Scott Cowan, Willie Rickards, Robbie Robinson.
