After losing to the Crusaders last Saturday, the Highlanders return to Forsyth Barr Stadium to play the Reds.
They will hope to immediately bounce back, but have not been helped by the week not going smoothly.
Co-captain Nasi Manu picked up a bout of food poisoning and was unable to train early in the week, and first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga has gone home to Wellington to be with his ill father and has not trained with the team all week.
Prop Ross Geldenhuys welcomed a second boy into his family on Tuesday. Viggo Geldenhuys and mother Madlein are both doing fine and were home with proud dad and brother Jetley (2) yesterday.
Manu should be right to play but Sopoaga will not front, while those who missed the match last week - flanker Shane Christie and midfield back Shaun Treeby - will not be right for the Reds.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said flanker Christie was still not over his hamstring injury, and Treeby could have played but was more likely to turn out for the development team in Timaru on Saturday as he recovers from a sore knee.
Marty Banks was likely to come into the side to replace Sopoaga in his debut for the Highlanders.
Whatever the team, Joseph said a higher intensity would be needed to conquer the Reds tomorrow night.
''Our execution was poor against the Crusaders - good players making uncharacteristic errors. That really comes down to the intensity of the competition and the intensity was far different from what we were used to,'' he said.
''We just made too many mistakes. Against the Crusaders you have to be right on the money, execute well and have a bit of luck.
''I thought we did well with luck. We were trying to do as much as we could but you have to catch the ball. You have to do the basics right and that was something we did not do well enough.''
Joseph played a straight bat over the suspension of prop Kane Hames, who received five weeks for striking.
''Clearly Kane was in the wrong. He hit a player, and you can't do that in footy. Five weeks might sound severe but I guess that is the lesson we have to learn.
''We really need a player like that. He was one of our best players last year but when things like that happen, the whole team suffers.''
The Highlanders might feel aggrieved at the five weeks doled out to Hames when Crusaders prop Owen Franks received two weeks for doing much the same thing.
Joseph said he had not looked too far into the suspension for Franks but was surprised with the two weeks given to the All Black prop.
