Steve Hepburn

They started like a Chrysler Avenger and finished like a Mustang.

The Highlanders coaches have been preaching keeping the ball in hand and backing each other.

The wind may have been howling up the harbour and the sun may have had the strength of a one-bar heater, but it did not stop plenty of supporters from standing on the sporting sidelines on Saturday.

There appears to be some foxing going on. The Highlanders take on the Chiefs in Hamilton tomorrow, and both have put their All Black first five-eighths on the bench.

The front foot has been put out, and it is a long stride.

This Nugget is getting banged up and bashed about - but he is bouncing back.

The Otago Spirit will have just the two home games in the revamped Farah Palmer Cup.

There is confidence the Central Otago Racing Club will not have to sell its race track at Omakau.

Harbour has had plenty of changes just two weeks into the season but it is simply getting on with the job.

The Super Rugby Aotearoa competition is halfway through. So what have we learned, who is playing well and what is not working? Rugby writer Steve Hepburn has a quick look.

North Otago will play in front of its own fans this year, after all.

A massive number of nominations have been received for the first thoroughbred meeting in the South since March.

Sporting organisations in Otago have found it tough going over the lockdown period and not all of them are out of the woods yet.

By rights, Cody Brook should have had three new footballs in his possession.

The game is made up of 100 one-percenters. For a team like the Highlanders, it comes down firstly to doing the basics well and efficiently.

It is often said that in sport defence wins titles.

Whatever Super Rugby looks like next year, it is hopefully going to bring some quality to the table.