Ask Canterbury Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder who he sees as his side's biggest Super 15 threat this year and he shoots back an unequivocal answer: "Ourselves".
As in most years in the championship's history, the Crusaders again represent New Zealand's best hope as they seek to build on a remarkable record of seven titles and 13 play-offs in the past 14 years.
Their main rivals the Auckland Blues have bolstered their ranks by raiding the Wellington Hurricanes' roster, while the Waikato Chiefs have been buoyed by the addition of Sonny Bill Williams.
Even the Otago Highlanders have taken steps to a build a side capable of narrowing the gap with the Blues and Crusaders.
But the mantle of being New Zealand's leading contender remains with the Christchurch side, a reputation that is driving Blackadder on as this season's tournament approaches.
"We've been favourites for the last couple of years and haven't managed to win it so that's our challenge this year," he said.
The Crusaders have lost only a handful of players from last year's squad, who defied the odds to reach the final despite not playing a home game after losing their stadium in the devastating February earthquakes in Christchurch.
The have lost prominent players Williams and locks Brad Thorn and Chris Jack, while Tom Donnelly has joined the middle row from the Highlanders.
Team talisman and World Cup-winning All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will not be seen until April as he recovers from a foot operation while champion fly-half Dan Carter is sidelined until March with a groin injury.
But elsewhere it is a settled side, drilled in the Crusaders' mantra that no player is more important than the team, and only maximum team effort and performance is acceptable.
"You expect to go out and perform and win each weak," McCaw says, summing up the Crusaders' culture.
"Just going out to compete is not good enough. That's the attitude.
"The team is bigger than any individual. There are team values; what it means to be a Crusader. No matter who you are coming in that's the way you act, train and perform. It's pretty damn simple but everyone lives it."
The Crusaders open this year's competition away on Friday to arch-rivals the Auckland Blues, who also came through the annual off-season exodus in good shape.
They have kept the bulk of their side which made the semi-finals last year while poaching All Blacks Piri Weepu and Ma'a Nonu off the Hurricanes.
Weepu is some way off match fitness but when he joins up with Nonu and fellow All Blacks Isaia Toeava, Rene Ranger and Rudi Wulf, the Blues will have a potent backline.
They also have an All Blacks-stacked pack with Jerome Kaino transformed into a number eight where coach Pat Lam believes he will get the best value from the New Zealand blindside flanker.
"He is keen on number eight, he is a leader and he can lead well from there and I always like a strong leader from number eight," said Lam .
The Chiefs, who like the Blues have often failed to live up to expectations, have lost World Cup winning fly-half Stephen Donald and fullback centurion Mils Muliaina to overseas but have gained Aaron Cruden and Sonny Bill Williams.
Along with Richard Kahui they have a backline to rival the Blues but there is a shortage of depth in the forwards in addition to grafters Liam Messam, Hika Elliot and Tanerau Latimer.
Rumours of disenchantment in the Hurricanes camp last year which contributed to the side's worst losing streak led to 10 players moving on, including eight past or present All Blacks.
They have been replaced by a group of young, raw players and one of the few remaining senior team members, Conrad Smith, says they are drawing strength from their status as underdogs.
The Highlanders raised a few eyebrows with the signing of England backrower James Haskell as well as taking Andrew Hore and Hosea Gear away from the Hurricanes.
After years of being also-rans, the arrival of Jamie Joseph as coach last year put new steel into the side which saw them rise above the Chiefs and Hurricanes to finish eighth and further improvement is expected.
cf/rsm/apj
