Coach Mark Hammett is a little bemused by the attention that's been given to Conrad Smith's anticipated return to the Hurricanes starting line-up.
Smith rejoined his Hurricanes team-mates for the first time last week since taking an extended break from rugby following the All Blacks World Cup win.
The centre, who will captain the new-look side this year, revealed he was unsure if he would be playing in the Hurricanes' Super Rugby opener against the Stormers in Cape Town on February 26.
The comment raised a few eyebrows mainly because he is the skipper and because the team is so inexperienced.
But Hammett emphasised after the Hurricanes' pre-season loss to the Crusaders that Smith would not be rushed back.
"We've said all along that what we'll do is what's best for the team and what's best for Conrad," the coach said.
"We want to make sure that Conrad is ready – physically and mentally – before we put him out because it's a long season.
"I always find it a wee bit funny because if it's the Crusaders and or the Blues looking after their All Blacks there is nothing mentioned.
"Now because it's Conrad it gets a wee bit messy. It's not messy at all. We'll just do what's best for Conrad and what's best for the team."
Smith took no part in Saturday's 19-8 loss at Mangatainoka and will not feature against the Chiefs in the final pre-season game in Taupo this Friday either.
But new recruit Tim Bateman, who joins the squad from Japan on Monday, will get some game time.
Despite the score line Hammett felt there were positives to be taken from the match against the Crusaders.
"I thought the contact area in terms of body position, that was good. I thought we created a lot of good opportunities but didn't finish," he said. "We had some good lineouts drive where we created some good stuff of the back of it but didn't quite get the detail to get that quicker ball.
"This week we didn't kick goals. There were probably 10 opportunities where we could have kicked goals but we didn't. I'm happy with that. It gives us more opportunity under pressure whether we call a scrum or call a lineout and the only
way we are going to get better as a new group is coming up against these teams.
"Remember you're up against a good team, a very good team with a lot of All Blacks."
That was noticeable particularly at set-piece where the Crusaders had a definite edge in the scrums and line-outs.
While the scrum looked more solid when props Ben May and Michael Bent were on the field the Hurricanes forwards never really challenged the Crusaders pack.
"That just comes down to being a wee bit in awe sometimes. We're a new group against a very settled and strong pack full of All Blacks," said Hammett.
"As the game wore on there was the reality of 'they are just men'. Obviously they are very good players but they are just men. We can have a crack at it."
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder was pleased with his side's hit-out. They scored three well-worked tries to lock Ross Kennedy, wing Patrick Osbourne and replacement first five-eighths Tyler Bleyendaal.
"These pre-season games are really just building blocks towards our opener against the Blues," said Blackadder.
"I was really pleased with that today. I thought we did our basics really well. It was quite a heavy track and we got a really tough, physical game. We got everything we needed to out of it."