The team made a positive start to its campaign, stringing together six consecutive wins, before suffering losses to Canterbury and Auckland, and a heartbreaking last-minute defeat to Counties-Manukau in Dunedin on Saturday.
Otago is still well-placed. It shares top spot with Wellington in the Championship standings but coach Cory Brown felt the timing was right to make five changes to the team which started the match against Counties-Manukau.
''It is a combination of wanting to give guys an opportunity who have been training really well, and also to give guys who have had lots and lots of minutes the opportunity to reduce fatigue and get a bit of energy back for the home semifinal,'' he said.
Key lock Tom Franklin has been forced to watch from the sideline after scans revealed he had sustained a slight fracture in his lower leg.
He has been replaced in the starting side by Josh Dickson, while former Junior Tall Black Tom Rowe had been added to the bench but sprained his ankle during training on Tuesday.
Loose forward James Lentjes was scheduled for a break but will take Rowe's spot in the reserves instead.
Wingers Mitchell Scott and Fa'asiu Fuata'i get the game off which presents Tony Ensor with an opportunity on the right wing, while the versatile Matt Faddes is promoted from the bench to the left wing.
Lee Allan gets a start at openside flanker and Josh Walden will begin the game at halfback with Jonathan Ruru dropping to the reserves. Back-up halfback Kaide Whiting missed selection.
Hooker Liam Coltman is back from All Black duty and will make his start from the bench, while prop Aki Seiuli has resurfaced following a five-week absence with a knee injury.
Dangerous University A winger Gavin Stark gets on the team sheet for the first time this season.
''Tony and Gavin have been training really well but just haven't had much of an opportunity,'' Brown said.
''Gavin was injured at the start of the [tournament]. He had a couple of games for the Bs but then our wingers started playing really well, so he was not really able to get an opportunity. Hopefully, he takes it on Friday.''
Powerful No8 Paul Grant, who will join Bath in the England Premiership at the end of the Mitre 10 Cup, is almost over his knee complaint and came close to selection. Otago could have used his height in the lineout.
Manawatu has All Black first five-eighth Aaron Cruden on the bench and Highlanders fans will be familiar with the names Jason Emery, Jackson Hemopo and Jamie Booth.
