Ben Smith may have been right come match day but the risk of throwing him into a big game was too great, Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph says.
Smith, the All Black fullback, was scratched from the Highlanders line-up yesterday after he picked up an infection last weekend and spent three nights in a Sydney hospital. He has been replaced by new Otago signing Trent Renata.
Smith arrived back in Dunedin on Wednesday but did not attend training yesterday and will not travel to Christchurch with the team.
Joseph said Smith had not trained all week and could not be considered.
''He is not the best. He is coming right though. But we have to have certainty in our team selection and so we have ruled him out,'' Joseph said''He turned up today but he is still on antibiotics ... he is looking a bit slim.''
Smith woke up on the morning of the game last Sunday with a swollen leg. His knee was drained and he took some antibiotics.
He managed to get through 80 minutes but was taken to hospital straight after the match and he stayed there until Wednesday morning.
''I'm sure on Saturday he will feel fine but it is not great preparation for him to go from hospital to a big game on Saturday against the Crusaders. If we are going to be any good in the later stages of the competition we have to do without Ben for once. This will allow us to prepare properly.''
It will be the first game Smith has missed for the Highlanders since 2012 when he was suffering from concussion symptoms.
Joseph said it was unknown territory how the side would do without Smith but that was where the team found itself.
He has plenty of faith in Renata.
''Trent hasn't had a lot of opportunities but the time he has had that opportunity he has played well.''
Joseph also confirmed more testing was being carried out on tighthead prop Ma'afu Fia, who was also not considered for the match against the Crusaders.
Fia had a seizure at training last week. The Highlanders have called in Bay of Plenty prop Solomoana Sakalia to cover the loss of Fia. He was a member of the Chiefs squad last year but did not play a game.
Hooker Brayden Mitchell is still being tested after being concussed last week and is out of the match squad to play tomorrow.
