Ardie Savea's apprenticeship is over. After spending most of his first season as a full-time Super Rugby player making up the numbers at training last year that will change in 2014.

Five seasons and counting. Recollections of the Crusaders' supremacy are fading as they continue to go through their close-but-no-cigar routine, writes Wynne Gray.

As a coach, Todd Blackadder is prone to all manner of sayings, and one of his standard lines is the one about the definition of insanity being the inclination to do the same thing over and over again, all the while expecting a different result.

If the Chiefs wanted an early examination of their three-peat chances, visiting the Crusaders and leaving 10 players at home fits the bill.

The Highlanders have scored only three tries in the pre-season but coach Jamie Joseph is not pushing any panic buttons over his attack.

Redemption is the primary goal for the Highlanders in 2014.

It is not often a team's season can be decided by one game but for the Highlanders that may be the case.

This week's Blues' team announcement for their opening match of the season will be keenly awaited because of Benji Marshall's arrival.

Best thing about the Highlanders? Their foxy home stadium, the Smiths, Nasi Manu and Brad Thorn, writes Wynne Gray.

There is a lot of hair to dig under, but a journey to the centre of Liam Coltman would reveal a core that is solid, durable and unlikely to melt even if a blowtorch is applied.

I can't, for the life of me, understand the concept of resting the All Blacks for the opening rounds of Super Rugby.

No team has won a Super Rugby title without a test-class first-five: Carlos Spencer, Andrew Mehrtens, Stephen Larkham, Daniel Carter, Morne Steyn, Quade Cooper and Aaron Cruden are the title-winning 10s. Gregor Paul assesses the current crop of New Zealan

The Blues believe they developed an image problem with referees last year and have hatched a plan to turn it around.

The first round of Super rugby is upon us. For many New Zealand sports lovers, it's time to say goodbye to the lip service they pay to other codes - the real action has begun.

Robbie Robinson's day usually goes something like this: Go to Chiefs HQ at Ruakura, do a weights session, go home and sit on the couch.

It's a late start for Keven Mealamu at the Blues again this season, but there's no lack of excitement, due in part to the freshness of a new year.

The arguments for and against resting Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu for the Blues' first game of the season against the Highlanders, writes Patrick McKendry.

All Black front-rowers Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu will sit out the Blues' opening match of the season against the Highlanders in Dunedin.