The Highlanders face the prospect of losing both their All Blacks halfbacks for their Super Rugby Pacific road trip to Perth to face Western Force.
Aaron Smith will stay at home to mourn the death of dad Wayne this week, while understudy Folau Fakatava is ill and not yet been cleared to travel.
"The boys know about it and have kept in contact with 'Nuggy'," said assistant coach Dave Dillon of Smith's loss. "We'll see how that looks moving forward.
"You're all in it together - if it's important to one person, it's important to all of you. When something like that happens, you reflect on it from your own experiences and offer support.
"It's bigger than the game, isn't it?"
The Highlanders have called in Otago halfback Nathan Hastie as cover for the position.
Smith missed their last outing against the Hurricanes, when he returned to Feilding for family reasons. Fakatava started that game, with James Arscott as bench cover.
After a disastrous start to their 2023 campaign - three big losses in NZ local derbies - the southerners turned their form around with victories over the Force, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, before falling to the Hurricanes.
They currently sit seventh on the competition ladder.
Join Newshub at 9:30pm Saturday for live updates of the Highlanders v Force Super Rugby Pacific clash
