Wayne Smith died on Friday.
His son, the superstar halfback, will stay in the North Island for the funeral and miss the Highlanders’ game against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday night, though he may rejoin the squad for the game against the Waratahs in Sunday six days later.
"It’s a good time to recognise Aaron and his family with the passing of his dad," Highlanders assistant coach Dave Dillon said yesterday.
"It’s a tough process at the best of times, and we’re thinking of them.
"When something like this happens, you reflect on your own experiences and offer support, and let them know you’re thinking of them. It’s bigger than the game, really."
Wayne Smith was the first major influence on a player who would become arguably the greatest All Blacks halfback.
Aaron Smith told The New Zealand Herald in 2015 that his father helped him understand how he could compensate for his lack of size by working on lighting-fast distribution skills.
"I was lucky that my father was very smart because he said to me when I was younger, if you’re going to play rugby, you’re going to have a point of difference, because you’re not big. I made my pass that."
The Highlanders will again have to utilise their full squad as the other leading halfback in the squad, Folau Fakatava, is ill and unlikely to be on the plane to Western Australia today.
Highly rated Otago halfback Nathan Hastie has been called into the squad to provide an option alongside James Arscott and Kemara Hauiti-Parapara.
The Highlanders will take just 27 players to Perth — that could be risky, given their tendency this season to lose three or four at either the captain’s run or warm-up.
An uncertain starter is star winger Jona Nareki.
He was "tracking quite nicely" on his return from injury but that was all Dillon was willing to divulge.
There is clarity around the future of rookie first five Cameron Millar, who does not require an operation on his injured ankle but is in a moon boot and will be sidelined for six weeks.
That is a blow for the rising Millar, but tempered by the return of English first five Freddie Burns.
Young lock Fabian Holland, who played 40 minutes for the Dunedin club on Saturday, is available again, while backs Josh Timu and Martin Bogado appear likely to travel in a welcome boost to the squad.
The Highlanders remain in a playoff spot — seventh — after a bye and will match their win tally from all of last season (four) if they can win at least one of their two games on the Australian swing.
"I think it [bye week] came at a really good time for us," Dillon said.
"It was good for the boys and staff and everyone just to get away with friends and family, and everyone has reported back pretty well."
Dillon is looking forward to a chance to continue developing in Perth and Sydney.
"I think it’s a really good chance for us to spend some together as a group.
"That’s quite unique these days. That time away in a different country . . . and two really important games.
"We feel our game is improving, and coming along, and this is a really good chance to head away and take it to another level."
Speaking of heading away, Dillon offered his thoughts on whether the All Blacks should be open to relaxing their policy of not selecting players who head overseas.
Smith, Beauden Barrett, Brodie Retallick and Richie Mo’unga are all heading to Japan — where Dillon coached before joining the Highlanders — thus ending their time in the black jersey.
"All the foreign players that I came across when I was at Kobe hadn’t gone over there to take the foot off the throat," Dillon said.
"Their training, their engagement, how they see the game and prepare for the game was pretty much the same as here.
"If they’re playing over there and they’re still in good form and have the mindset that they still want to play international rugby, that would be quite exciting."
