Both Smiths to sit out match for Highlanders

Highlanders fullback Ben Smith is almost certain to feature during his side’s Super Rugby quarterfinal next weekend.

Despite All Blacks coach Steve Hansen suggesting the 31-year-old would play against the Reds in Dunedin tomorrow night, Highlanders coach Tony Brown has opted to rest him.

Smith’s been cleared of the inner-ear problem, which was originally thought to be concussion and has sidelined him since the first test between the All Blacks and British and Irish Lions last month.

‘‘He probably just needs a real quality week of real full-on training,’’ Brown said yesterday.

‘‘Get that under his belt and then get into full preparation mode for the quarterfinals, that’s our plan with him.’’

After watching Brown train at high level the past couple of days, Brown was ‘‘definitely confident’’ the most capped Highlander of alltime would be back next weekend.

He isn’t the only one being rested against the Reds, with All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith also sitting out the Dunedin-based franchise’s final regular season game.

‘‘Physically, Aaron Smith is fine, but mentally that’s three big tests that you need a bit of a break from once you come back,’’ Brown said.

‘‘The plan with him is to give him the week off and refresh him and then hopefully get the performance we need out of him when we play in our quarter.’’

But while the Smiths will have a breather, rugged loose forward Liam Squire will play his first game since breaking a thumb against the Cheetahs in May.

The All Black wasn’t utilised during the Lions series, although Brown believes he would have played the final test had the series been in the bag.

The Highlanders will lock up the seventh seed with a win or a losing bonus point against the Reds, meaning they will play whichever of the Crusaders or Lions finish second on the ladder.

Should the unbeaten Crusaders beat the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night, the red and blacks will cement the top seed.

Unless the Sharks beat the Lions on Sunday morning, a loss to the Hurricanes would relegate the Crusaders to second place.

Following an injury riddled campaign, the Highlanders are the healthiest they’ve been all year.

That means first-five eighth Lima Sopoaga will start his first game for the Highlanders since March 11, when he pinged his hamstring against the Blues.

Sopoaga came off the bench three consecutive weeks before the international break, and also got a run off the pine during the All Blacks demolition job of Samoa last month.

Brown admitted Sopoaga, who made a costly blunder in his team’s 25-22 loss to the Crusaders in his last Super Rugby match, was rusty before the break but expected him to ‘‘light it up’’ against the Reds.

Benching Marty Banks, who was instrumental in the Highlanders’ franchise-record nine-match winning streak earlier this season, wasn’t a tough decision, Brown said.

‘‘Marty always does the job for us,’’ Brown said. ‘‘But the role that Marty is going to play for us is just as important off the bench.

‘‘We know that we can rely on him to come on at any time in the game and he’s going to potentially be a match-winner for us coming off the bench.’’

Meanwhile, loose forward Elliot Dixon, who has had a couple of niggly injuries, was a casualty of a tough selection decision.

‘‘We’ve actually got all of our loose forwards back for the first time this year, so he’s under a little bit of pressure there,’’ Brown said.

‘‘Getting Liam Squire back this week has put the pressure on us as selectors to pick the right guys and unfortunately Elliot has missed out.’’