This week the Highlanders face the unenviable task of taking on the ladder-leading Hurricanes without star All Blacks Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Malakai Fekitoa. Coach Jamie Joseph has again decided to rest all three players from the same fixture, after fulfilling the first of two NZ Rugby-enforced breaks when the Highlanders travelled to Canberra to face the Brumbies in Round 11. They were soundly beaten on that occasion and the popular belief is, that without their three Test backs, the Dunedin-based side are little chance of a win in Napier.

Using the stats provided by Opta Sports, we've taken a look at just how valuable the trio are to the Highlanders and what lessons they may have learned from their heavy defeat to the Brumbies earlier this year.

Aaron Smith offers a huge attacking threat around the breakdown © Getty Images

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What do the All Blacks trio deliver?

At a glance, it seems as though Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Fekitoa are more or less involved in a third of the Highlanders' open attacking outputs. The trio have chipped in with 14 tries and nine assists between them while 30% of the Highlanders' breaks and defenders beaten come through the All Blacks superstars; twenty-two of 46 space-creating passes (excluding try assists) can also be attributed to the big three.

So where will the Highlanders' attacking threat come from in Napier? Anyone who's seen the Southerners in action this season will point to wingers Patrick Osborne and Waisake Naholo. They may not be Test quality just yet but Naholo's name has popped up among All Blacks conversations while Osborne was re-signed earlier this year; the Highlanders themselves have clearly recognised Osborne's efforts. There is no Osborne this week, which adds to the Highlanders concerns, placing further pressure on the in-form Naholo.

Sopoaga has been good but must be better

The player who really needs to step up is rising fly-half Lima Sopoaga. The Highlanders first-five has largely enjoyed a strong season; his game against the Brumbies being one of the few exceptions. An early dropped pass, which the ACT side promptly scored from, seemed to set the tone for Sopoaga as he endured a mixed evening for the remainder of the 80 minutes. The Highlanders No.10 conceded six turnovers but did beat four defenders; his intent to step up in the absence of his regular backline stars was clearly there, though he may have been guilty of trying too hard.

Moving away from Sopoaga in that match, centre Richard Buckman got through plenty of defensive work - something he will need to replicate against the Canes - while Fumiaki Tanaka was faultless but clearly lacked the sniping threat of Aaron Smith.

Lima Sopoaga must take control from fly-half against the Canes © Getty Images

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It all starts up front

But that loss was in no way entirely the backline's fault; the Brumbies' pack powering over their Highlanders counterparts to lead 31-6 at half-time. Five rolling mauls from the Brumbies may sound fairly innocuous; but on the back of lineout ball deep in Highlanders territory, they presented David Pocock with a hat-trick of tries. The ACT side dominated possession and territory in both halves, suggesting the big-name trio of Smith, Smith and Fekitoa would have struggled to exert their influence on the game had they taken the field in Canberra.

The match against the Hurricanes may yet replicate what we saw transpire in the Australian capital but there is one characteristic that cannot be measured numerically: self-belief. The Highlanders have shown what a tight unit they are - something Sopoaga relayed to ESPN last week - and if they don't roll over up front, there is certainly still enough firepower out wide to worry the men from Wellington. Even without their resting Test trio.