Smith to miss clash with Reds
There’s no rest for fullback Ben Smith tomorrow night, but the Highlanders’ co-captain will miss the team’s game against the Reds next weekend.
Smith and the rest of the Highlanders’ named in the All Blacks for next month’s series against France will fly to Auckland for a three-day camp on Sunday, after the team plays the Waratahs in Sydney tomorrow night.
But while some are expected to join the team in Brisbane in the middle of the week, Smith will remain in New Zealand.
Smith has started all 10 matches this season, despite All Blacks being required to sit out two matches. Halfback Aaron Smith and Waisake Naholo have each been rested for one match.
‘‘Ben is a little bit different,’’ Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger said. ‘‘He had his sabbatical last year, so he had a lot of time off. We also didn’t play him in the [Brisbane] Tens, which was requested by the All Blacks.’’
Mauger didn’t clarify if Smith isn’t required to sit out two weeks before the regular season finishes, and a decision around other players skipping the Reds match would be made next week.
Smith, loose forward Liam Squire and wing Waisake Naholo should be named in the All Blacks, while No 8 Luke Whitelock, hooker Liam Coltman and flanker Dillon Hunt were also involved in South Island camps earlier this season.
‘‘We’ll wait and see what happens with the selection,’’ Mauger said.Regardless of whether or not Squire is named in the All Blacks, Mauger said he could next week play his first Super Rugby match since he broke a thumb playing the Crusaders in Dunedin in March.
Squire was expected to miss six weeks, but his thumb had to be ‘‘reset’’ last month after it failed to mend properly.
‘‘He feels like it’s much better this time than the last time he had it operated on . . . he’s ticked off a few boxes this week, he’s been doing all the skill work . . . he should be ready to go hopefully next week,’’ Mauger said.
There is also good news regarding utility Richard Buckman, who hasn’t played this season due to a nerve injury in his neck.
Buckman will play club rugby in Dunedin this weekend and, all going well, should be available to play the Reds next weekend, or the Hurricanes in Dunedin on June 1, Mauger confirmed.
Meanwhile, Tei Walden has been ruled out of tomorrow night’s match because of concussion symptoms, forcing Mauger to name Sio Tomkinson at second fiveeighth, the utility’s preferred position.
Rested halfback Smith, lock Jackson Hemopo and Hunt return to the starting side at the expense of Kayne Hammington, Alex Ainley, James Lentjes (ribs), while wing Tevita Li has recovered from an ankle injury and has been named on the bench.
The Highlanders have won five of the last six games between the teams. The Waratahs’ last win against the Dunedin-based side was in 2014, when they won 44-16 in Sydney.