Not this week.
The Highlanders are a beacon of rare stability ahead of their daunting trip to Eden Park to play the Blues tomorrow night.
There are no new injuries — although they have specialised this season in making late changes — and no wild selections for the Gordon Hunter Memorial game.
Coach Clarke Dermody, who was lamenting the impossibility of maintaining a settled XV when an injury crisis struck in the early rounds of Super Rugby, has made just one change from the team that beat the Reds 35-30.
Scott Gregory replaces Jonah Lowe on the right wing to mark All Blacks dynamo Caleb Clarke.
"Scott has got a massive work rate, and obviously there’s a bit of containing to do against the Blues," Dermody said yesterday.
"Workrate’s going to be a big part of our game plan."
The last week of the regular season is not a bad time to be settling on a full-strength XV.
Only lock Josh Dickson (personal leave) and midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen (calf) could be argued to be first-choice players who are unavailable.
That has given Dermody a chance to name a team that can seek to maintain a winning run and try to reach the playoffs.
"I guess we didn’t get the complete performance we were after but we saw aspects of the game last week that were really pleasing.
"The control that we had at times is what’ve been looking for, so it’s cool to be to settle on a pretty similar team this week."
Blindside flanker Shannon Frizell, who has made six straight starts, was due to be on All Blacks rest week.
But the Highlanders have asked for, and received, an exemption from New Zealand Rugby, as Frizell missed three games with injury.
Freddie Burns makes a fifth straight start at first five and is really starting to show the class that encouraged the Highlanders to enlist the former English international’s services.
"He’s obviously a hugely experienced 10," Dermody said.
"The stuff he can drive through the week for our boys has been gold. He’s now had a bit of a run at 10, so he’s definitely stepped into a real game-driving role for us."
Fullback-turned-midfielder Sam Gilbert has been cleared of a wrist injury.
He remains in the midfield alongside Matt Whaanga, the Taieri and Southland centre who did a solid job on his debut last week.
"I think we like to look locally first to resource our players, especially our replacements.
"Matt’s come in, he’s trained really well and he took his opportunity at the weekend, so it’s nice to be able to reward that, to show that there’s opportunities for boys who stay local."
It will be all hands on deck as the Highlanders try to stop a backline containing Clarke, Rieko Ioane, Zarn Sullivan and, above all, the exceptionally dangerous Mark Telea.
The 60-20 loss to the Blues on opening night really stung the Highlanders.
They are a better team now, but the reality is they will have to take a massive step up against a loaded team.
All Blacks loose forward Dalton Papali’i has had his three-week ban for a high tackle reduced to two, so he rejoins the Blues at No8.
Veteran playmaker Beauden Barrett remains sidelined by a niggling injury, and Warriors-bound midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck can still not make the 23.
Highlanders v Blues
The teams
Highlanders: Mitch Hunt, Scott Gregory, Matt Whaanga, Sam Gilbert, Jona Nareki, Freddie Burns, Aaron Smith, Hugh Renton, Billy Harmon (captain), Shannon Frizell, Max Hicks, Pari Pari Parkinson, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Sean Withy, Folau Fakatava, Connor Garden-Bachop, Fetuli Paea.
Blues: Zarn Sullivan, Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, Bryce Heem, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Finlay Christie, Dalton Papali’i (capt), Anton Segner, Tom Robinson, James Tucker, Patrick Tuipulotu, Nepo Laulala, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Marcel Renata, Rob Rush, Akira Ioane, Sam Nock, Stephen Perofeta, AJ Lam.
