The Highlanders will travel to Napier for the match safe in the knowledge they have qualified for the playoffs with two games of the regular season left.
The side will be keen to win its fifth straight game against the Hurricanes away from home but will have to do so without its three All Blacks.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has opted to rest Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Malakai Fekitoa for the match in Napier and have them right for the final game of the season, against the Blues at Eden Park.
The side probably needs to win one of those two games to bag a home playoff game in the first week of the playoffs although, with bonus points, anything could happen.
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd told media in Wellington yesterday he was unaware the Highlanders were not playing their All Blacks but it would not alter his side's preparation.
''It won't change our plan. We're not sure who they will play at fullback. They will probably play [Fumiaki] Tanaka at halfback, [Richard] Buckman and [Shaun] Treeby in midfield, maybe Marty Banks at fullback,'' he said.
''It does not really matter. The Crusaders had 10 out and we did not do too good against them.''
Boyd has his own player-management issues. All Black second five-eighth Ma'a Nonu still has to have another match off.
Boyd said nothing had been decided yet about Nonu but it would depend on the state of the team.
The side was chasing a couple of points to confirm home advantage for the playoffs.
All Black first five-eighth Barrett, who has been out for the best part of a month due to a knee injury, was going to be assessed by medical staff after training yesterday.
Boyd described him as a 50-50 proposition.
It appears likely if Barrett comes into the starting side then Nonu may sit out the match and be ready to play the Chiefs on June 13 in New Plymouth.
The Hurricanes will be without winger Matt Proctor, who picked up a nasty head knock in the side's 35-18 loss to the Crusaders last Friday.
Hooker Motu Matu'u has damaged a ligament in his knee and may be lucky to get back on the field for the Hurricanes this season.
Former Highlanders hooker Brayden Mitchell will come into the squad as back-up hooker to Dane Coles.
There may be a suspicion the Hurricanes were just cruising into the playoffs and the loss last Friday night in Nelson was just a blip in an otherwise good season.
Boyd rejected that thought saying no team wanted to play a howler.
He was not totally sure why his side played so badly.
''We're certainly not happy with the way we played. Maybe we got complacent, not really sure of the reason ... we need to out that behind us and move on.''
''It's not so bad if you play well and still lose but we played bad.''
