The All Black door may have been opened slightly wider for Luke Whitelock.
He must now be as strong a contender as anyone to wear the No 8 jersey in the June test series against France, although it comes at the expense of a fellow Highlander.
Highlanders assistant coach Mark Hammett confirmed yesterday Liam Squire had suffered a setback in his return from a fractured thumb.
The 15-test All Black will miss a further six weeks after a scan showed it had not set properly.
That casts doubt over his involvement in the test series, as he will probably return with little or no game time in nearly three months.
With Kieran Read almost certain to miss the series as well, Whitelock may quietly fancy his chances.
He captained the side in a midweek match against a French XV after being called in as an injury replacement late last year.
His strong form has continued this year, bringing physicality and getting through a high workload around the park.
Dynamic Blues No8 Akira Ioane may be his strongest competitor, while Jordan Taufua from the Crusaders could also be an option.
However, Whitelock is not looking too far ahead.
His focus remains firmly on performing well during the Super Rugby campaign.
"I guess the biggest thing I can do, or control, is playing well for the Highlanders,'' he said.
"If I can put my hand up and play well there, it will put me in a position to potentially be involved [in the All Blacks].''
For the Highlanders, it means coping without Squire for the remaining six games before the international window.
However, depth in their loose forwards should see them manage just fine.
Alongside Whitelock, a a star in strong ball-carrying flanker Shannon Frizell emerged last week against the Blues .
Also in the squad are Dillon Hunt and Elliot Dixon, as well as the returning James Lentjes.
Dan Pryor is around too, although he has been hampered by injury the past two years, most recently leaving the field early playing club rugby on Saturday.
It is an impressive list and the competition within the group is helping bring out the best in the players.
"The nature of the sport we're in is that everyone's competing to be the best they can be,'' Whitelock said.
"That's obviously pretty evident in the team and the loose forwards that we've got.
"It's only healthy for individuals and it's also really good for the team.''