Highlanders fighting for survival

The Highlanders go into a winnable Super 14 rugby match on Friday against the Cheetahs with their future survival in future tournament at the back of their minds.

The Highlanders go into a winnable Super 14 rugby match on Friday against the Cheetahs with their future survival in future tournament at the back of their minds.

With their season doomed, there is speculation of more gloom for the country's southern-most franchise when the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) starts revamping its Super Rugby for contract renewal in 2010.

The union has said that it could redraw the boundaries of its five Super 14 franchises, sparking speculation that the Highlanders could lose their franchise or share it with one or two North Island provinces such as North Harbour.

Being the poorest performers among the New Zealand teams recently and with the smallest population base, the Highlanders are likely to be affected in the overhaul.

Highlanders chief executive Richard Reid said it would be difficult to regain a franchise once it was lost.

The Highlanders have always argued it would kill rugby in the south if the franchise was shifted, and Reid does not believe there is any firm indication that will happen.

“I don't think there's any more weight to this issue than there has been before. It's just topical,” Reid told NZPA.

He said if the franchise was transferred to North Harbour, it was a matter of relocating the problem.

The Highlanders players, based at sea-level Cape Town this week in preparation for their match against the Cheetahs at Bloemfontein, were aware of the speculation.

“At this stage it is just that – speculation – and there have been rumours before,” said lock Tom Donnelly.

He said it was more the reason why they wanted to finish the season well.

“The pressure's still on. We've still got heaps to play for considering all the ramifications,” he said.

“We know we won't be playing in the semifinals but we don't want to finish last in the competition.

“We've got some big games later on [against the Blues and the Crusaders] so that'll give us an opportunity to show that we're not as bad as the record shows.”

The 2m, 113kg Donnelly said a good finish will go some way towards appeasing some of their disgruntled fans and help retain players who may be thinking about leaving.

“It will be most important to retain some of the guys,” he said. “That was one of the main problems this year – a lack of experience.”

The Highlanders and the Cheetahs have a similar record, both on 11 points with just one win.

The losers could easily finish the season last.

Donnelly said one fact provided hope for the team – that several of their close losses were due to their own errors because there were so many inexperienced players in the side.

“We beat ourselves,” he said.

“We're just making basic errors at crucial times – dropping the ball and all that.

“We'd get down to their 22 and when we'd get under a bit of pressure we'd drop the ball or knock it on and just take the pressure off the opponents.

“We were terrible against the Bulls and got a hiding.

“We know we have been good enough to beat a few teams we lost to. We let ourselves down.”