KEY POINTS:
As if a player exodus and losing their coach to the Blues was not a bitter enough pill to swallow, the Highlanders have been dealt another harsh hand with confirmation yesterday of next year's Super 14 draw.
The embattled franchise has been saddled with a potentially nightmarish end to the round-robin phase - a three-match assignment in South Africa against the Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs before they return home to face the Blues and Crusaders. Newly-appointed head coach Glenn Moore, a replacement for Greg Cooper, already has to contend without the experience of Anton Oliver, Carl Hayman, Clarke Dermody, Josh Blackie and Nick Evans - the notables among a mass of defections from the 2007 side.
And the schedule for the 13th edition of the tournament was unlikely to have raised any spirits at Carisbrook with the Highlanders also the only New Zealand franchises to start their campaign with two games across the Tasman, in Brisbane and Canberra.
The Brumbies and Crusaders, combatants in three of the dozen finals, open the competition on February 15, in a round that also features three local derbies. The Blues and Chiefs clash at Eden Park the following day, while the Stormers host the reigning champion Bulls in Cape Town. The Cheetahs and Lions meet in Bloemfontein.
The Hurricanes open in Sydney against the Waratahs, while this year's beaten finalists, the Sharks, host John Mitchell's Western Force.
Eden Park hosts the Blues for all but one game, with North Harbour Stadium getting the nod for the fifth round match against the Western Force.
- NZPA
