Southland will travel north having opened its Air New Zealand Cup campaign with a hard-fought 16-6 win over Waikato in Invercargill on Saturday night.
Southland co-coach David Henderson said the match was a typical early season encounter and he was happy with some aspects of the win last week.
"But there were also some aspects of the game that were we not happy with. To be fair, it was the first game of the season so there is always going to be something to work on," he said.
"It was a greasy surface and we'd had a lot of rain in Invercargill. So tactically that made a lot of difference to how we played the game."
Southland spent much of the match in Waikato's territory, with its forwards winning the battle up front, and its backs kicking the ball behind the Mooloo front eight.
Henderson said the team wanted to use the ball this year, and over the past two to three years it had tried to play wider and develop its back play.
Last year, Southland made it to the semifinals before losing narrowly to Wellington in the capital.
Henderson said the players knew what they wanted to achieve this year, and that was to be better than last year.
The side had most of its personnel back from last year and they were working on developing the wide game.
In the first round of the Air NZ Cup last year, Otago managed a last-minute win, with its first five-eighth Chris Noakes banging over a 40m-plus penalty goal at the death.
Henderson said last year's game would have no bearing on Friday's match, and there had been no talk of revenge.
The sides' pre-season match, which Southland won 19-14, would likewise have no impact on this week's game.
"You can take nothing out of that pre-season game. They just came down the day of the game on the bus so they were hardly prepared for it."
He said Otago would be tough, as it showed with a spirited Ranfurly Shield challenge against Wellington.
"This is a team with four New Zealand Juniors and an All Black, so they have to be respected."
Southland had youngster Robbie Robinson in the first five-eighth position against Waikato after experienced back James Wilson pulled out with a calf injury.
Wilson's injury was being monitored but he was no certainty for Friday night, so Robinson might again wear the No 10 jersey.
Southland captain Jamie Mackintosh was looking to play both sides of the front row to show his versatility, and Henderson said he had been keen on the move for a couple of years.
All Black halfback Jimmy Cowan was unlikely to get a run for Southland on Friday night.
Southland's first five-eighth last year, Blair Stewart, left to play rugby in France and has not returned.
Henderson said there appeared to be plenty of interest in the game in Invercargill and he hoped for plenty of Southland support at the match.
Southland won for the first time in 30 years at Carisbrook two years ago, and Henderson said though it was "great" to get that win, the win-loss record was dismal and needed to improve.
