Halfback Chris Smylie and 19-year-old prop Reg Goodes have missed selection for the 25-man Hurricanes squad to open the Super Rugby season after being injured in Friday night's pre-season game against the Chiefs.
The Hurricanes won 23-19 but losing Smylie, in particular, will not make life any easier for the team who begin the season on Saturday with a three-match tour, taking on the Stormers, Lions and the Force before their first home match on March 17 against the Highlanders.
Goodes, originally from a town near Pretoria, was born in South Africa.
The Hurricanes are everybody's pick for a wooden spoon finish in New Zealand after a poor performance last year and a disconnect between new coach Mark Hammett and a number of senior players was played out in public.
In the off-season, many former Canes stalwarts either switched franchises or went overseas. They lost nine All Blacks - Aaron Cruden, Bryn Evans, Andrew Hore, Hosea Gear, Ma'a Nonu, Rodney So'oialo, John Schwalger, Neemia Tialata and Piri Weepu.
