Even when growing up in Palmerston North, Grant Webb took a keen interest in Otago rugby.
The man who will pack down at the base of the Otago scrum in Saturday's match against the Lions has one clear memory of the 1993 tour here.
"I've always followed Otago closely and watching them beat the Lions on that tour was pretty special," Webb says.
"I remember it pretty well. I don't know what it was, maybe the way they played, but they impressed a lot of us in the third form at the time."
An Otago team featuring several All Blacks and at an exciting peak of their powers won 37-24.
A repeat is possible at Carisbrook if the feeling in the southerners' camp this week is any gauge.
While much of the interest has been in Wellington, where a near-test strength Lions smothered the hosts 23-6 last night, Webb and his teammates have been building towards a match many rate as the biggest of their lives.
"It's just a real excitement in the camp, I guess. Everyone wants to hook into it," said Webb, a former New Zealand colt and four-year Otago veteran.
"We've come together really well actually. We've got quite a few guys around from the Highlanders still, so we're able to use a bit of stuff we've developed earlier in the year in the Super 12.
"The newer guys coming in have just had to learn some of the phase plays and sequences."
The lesser-known faces include tighthead prop Craig Dunlea and hooker Jason MacDonald, named yesterday to fill the giant boots of All Blacks Carl Hayman and Anton Oliver -- missing on All Blacks duty -- respectively.
"We'll miss them but we've got some good players who can fill their shoes, I'm sure they'll be up for the occasion," Webb said.
"These guys who have stepped in can handle themselves in that front row. We've got experience there to help them out too with Carl Hoeft."
A third All Black missing is lock James Ryan, whose place is taken by the experienced Filipo Levi.
Webb, 26, forms a lively all-Highlanders loose forward trio with flankers Josh Blackie and Craig Newby, who both came close to All Blacks squad selection and are instead in the Junior All Blacks side.
Newby will be captain in his first game for the province on Saturday after shifting from North Harbour.
Otago assistant coach Phil Young was impressed with the development this year of the hard-working Webb.
"Grant adds something with his leadership and the three loosies work well together," Young said.
The backline is the same that lined up for the Highlanders in the final Super 12 outing this year, the humbling 31-8 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton, with debut first five-eighth Nick Evans joining Newby in the shift from North Harbour to Otago.
Team: Glen Horton, Hayden Pedersen, Neil Brew, Seilala Mapusua, Matt Saunders, Nick Evans, Danny Lee, Grant Webb, Josh Blackie, Craig Newby (captain), Tom Donnelly, Filipo Levi, Craig Dunlea, Jason Macdonald, Carl Hoeft. Reserves: Jed Vercoe, Jeremy Aldworth, Andrew McClintock, Alando Soakai, Chris Smylie, Ryan Bambry, Jason Shoemark.
NZPA