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 theteam 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.
The Canes still have five All Blacks and could do better than most think. Hammett will be aiming for at least two wins on this tour - the Force seem weak and the Lions could be a possibility. The Hurricanes' major problem seems to be in the tight five.
