By Jeff McTainsh
The Hurricanes will be sweating on the fitness of two of their All Blacks ahead of Friday's Super Rugby derby against the Blues at Eden Park.
Assistant coach John Plumtree is unsure whether he'll have the services of hooker Dane Coles and fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Coles is yet to feature for the franchise this season after picking up a calf injury in training, while Milner-Skudder is nursing a bruised leg suffered in the opening round loss to the Brumbies in Canberra.
"They're definitely going to be late calls if we use them," said Plumtree.
"It certainly won't be a decision early in the week."
The pair's involvement would provide a timely boost for last year's finalists, after a heavy defeat across the Tasman in round one, followed by a one-point loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin last weekend.
"We got one or two knocks, so we'll do selection later in the week but I would like to think that we would stick with the same group. They performed pretty well in the weekend, but we still have to tidy up, we're still a little bit inaccurate at crucial times."
While the Hurricanes are desperate to get on the board in 2016, Plumtree is wary of a Blues side that's looked the goods so far under new coach Tana Umaga.
"They dusted us up in the pre-season game. They're big, really physical."
"They've got game-breakers and line-breakers all over the park so our defence is going to have to be huge in the weekend.
"If we want to build that pressure we are going to have to hold onto the ball for a longer period of time and take out opportunities. That's probably what's letting us down at this stage."
The Hurricanes haven't been helped by the home and away schedule either, with a three-game road trip to start the season, before a round four appearance in Palmerston North and their first game at Westpac Stadium in the fifth week of the competition.
"Be good if we could play some home games to start with," said Plumtree.
"It's always tougher at the start of the season because everything is new still and you have a few pre-season games but you get better as the competition goes on. It's always easier playing at home so it would have been nice to have had one or two home games."
The Hurricanes have the slight edge over the Blues in the history books, having won five or their last eight encounters.
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