Rugby: Smith unlikely to play against Blues

Hurricanes centre Conrad Smith is unlikely to play against the Blues this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith is free of concussion symptoms but is unlikely to play in this Saturday's match against the Blues at Eden Park.

Smith took a knock to the head during the Hurricanes' 22-18 win over the Chiefs in Wellington on Saturday and didn't return to the game after failing his sideline tests.

But Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said Smith showed no lingering symptoms and this week loomed as a great opportunity to give the centre his final rest for the season. Every All Black must skip two games of Super Rugby this year to remain fresh for the World Cup.

"He's had zero symptoms since. Passed his concussion test the next day [after the game] and had absolutely no issues," Boyd said.

"He's also got a slight niggle in his foot. It was always our intention to use his rest game against the Blues so that will most likely continue. I would say, at this stage, the chances are he won't play in the weekend."

With Smith out, Rey Lee-Lo would likely play at centre with Ma'a Nonu remaining at second-five.

The only other injury concern to emerge from the weekend's game was an Achilles ailment for prop Ben Franks.

It wasn't thought to be serious and Boyd said the All Black was a chance to play this weekend. Franks also needs to sit out one more game this season.

The Hurricanes could be down on props this Saturday considering loosehead Reggie Goodes has been suspended for a week for foul play following an incident during the weekend that left Chiefs lock Michael Allardice with a serious knee injury.

Sanzar's judicial officer Robert Stelzner SC deemed the action, which breached Law 10.4 (h), worthy of a one-week suspension and the Hurricanes chose not to appeal the sanction.

"The comment I would make is that it's a highly technical breach of law and that there was absolutely no intent from Reggie," Boyd said.

"I don't believe many rugby players deliberately intend to impose injury on other players."

Generally speaking, the suspension was imposed on Goodes for not using his arms in contact.

Wider training group prop Mike Kainga (shoulder) is injured so if Franks was to be ruled out, the propping stocks would look mighty thin considering John Schwalger (blood clots) has also been lost for the season.

Chris Eves, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Ben May are fit and would make up three of the four required props for Saturday's playing squad against the Blues. Tolu Fahamokioa could be summoned if Franks doesn't recover.

Meanwhile, the debate continues to bubble away around a potential game-winning try for the Chiefs being ruled out in the dying minutes on Saturday night.

Augustine Pulu looked to have stolen the game for the Chiefs but his effort was denied by the TMO for a knock-on by flanker Sam Cane at the preceding ruck.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie wasn't pleased saying Cane was illegally impeded by a Hurricanes player on the ground and Boyd noted there was a range of infringements during that ruck.

"If you look at that, frame by frame, you'd probably say, on average, that the most likely outcome would be maybe a penalty to the Chiefs. But you certainly couldn't have allowed the try to continue," Boyd said.