A trip to the dentist was preferable to a visit to Carisbrook for many northern rugby players in past years. But, as rugby writer Steve Hepburn finds, the ground no longer holds great fears for visiting teams.
Carisbrook is no longer a graveyard for visiting teams, with the home side logging more losses than wins over the past three seasons.
With the Highlanders struggling for a couple of seasons, and Otago fighting even to make a quarterfinal in the Air New Zealand Cup, Carisbrook's reputation as a fortress for the home side appears to be a distant memory.
Over the past three seasons, Otago and the Highlanders have played a combined 28 times at Carisbrook, winning on 12 occasions and falling to 16 defeats.
From 2006, Otago has played 13 games, winning seven games and losing six.
In that same period, the Highlanders have played 15 games and won just five times.
The House of Pain is quickly becoming that for the home side.
That House of Pain term was first coined by North Harbour coach Brad Meurant in 1992, at an after-match function after his side had lost in extra time to Otago in a national provincial championship semifinal.
But close, nail-biting encounters like that one, when Otago fullback Greg Cooper scored a try in extra time to clinch victory, are few and far between these days at Carisbrook.
The term House of Pain is no longer used in promotions by the Otago Rugby Football Union.
In five matches at Carisbrook this year, the Highlanders won only one, against the lowly Lions, and did their best to lose that encounter before winning 29-20.
The Highlanders actually won more games away, albeit only two, defeating the Cheetahs and the Crusaders.
Otago has played four games at Carisbrook in the Air NZ Cup this year, beating Northland, but losing to Canterbury, Hawkes Bay and Taranaki.
From 1990 to 1992 Otago went three whole seasons not losing a game in the national championship at Carisbrook, playing 15 games and winning the lot.
In one of those years, 1991, its record away from home was good enough for the team to claim the national championship, winning the prized trophy for the first time.
The Highlanders did not lose to another New Zealand team in the Super 14 at Carisbrook in round-robin play from 1998 to 2003.
This year in the Air NZ Cup, only cellar-dwelling Manawatu has yet to score a win at home, although it did secure a 38-38 draw against Waikato in Palmerston North.
Northland has recorded just the one victory at home, along with North Harbour, Tasman, and Otago.
Southern neighbour and Super 14 franchise partner Southland has hardly made its home ground a fortress, either.
In the past three seasons, the Stags have played 14 times at home, with eight wins and six losses.
The Highlanders did not initially enjoy Rugby Park stadium, losing their first three games at the ground, but have managed to right the ledger, with 11 games at the stadium yielding six wins, four losses and a draw.
Queenstown has not been a happy hunting ground for the Highlanders, who have lost their two games in the resort, to the Chiefs last year and the Force this year.
Otago will not return to the town this year because of an inability to schedule a day game.
