Captains in doubt ahead of Super Rugby semifinal showdown

The Hurricanes and the Chiefs could both be missing their captains for Saturday night's semifinal.

Two-time champion Chiefs and the top-seeded Hurricanes both thumped South African teams in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

But the victories may have come at a cost for both Kiwi sides.

A suspected rib injury to skipper Dane Coles has cast a shadow over the Hurricanes six-try 41-0 Super Rugby quarter-final win over the Sharks in Wellington.

Coles left the field early in the second half in serious pain, and coach Chris Boyd was afterwards subdued in his assessment of the Hurricanes' most comprehensive win of the season.

"I'm distraught for Dane Coles - that's put a bit of a dampener on it for us," Boyd said.

"He's done something to a rib or a cartilage, so he's battling, he's off to hospital."

Boyd said it was "an absolute wait-and-see" as to whether he would be able to play.

"It doesn't look terribly good. We still haven't had an accurate diagnosis, but he looked pretty uncomfortable."

Meanwhile, the Chiefs lost second five-eighth Stephen Donald (shoulder) and co-captain Sam Cane (head knock) during the Chiefs 60-21 Super Rugby quarter-final win against the Stormers in Cape Town and couldn't say how serious either injury is.

Donald's absence could be countered by a likely return to fitness of two-Test All Blacks centre Seta Tamanivalu, who missed the quarter-final with a knee injury.

All Blacks flanker Cane received stitches after the knock and his coach Dave Rennie said he didn't have any symptoms post-game.

But he will need to undergo concussion tests, with results not likely to be known until after the team arrive in New Zealand on Tuesday morning.

No.8 Michael Leitch has been out for two months with a dislocated thumb but could be ready to play.

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If both Cane and Leitch are ruled out, Rennie says he will consider making another appeal to Sanzaar for dispensation to field All Blacks flanker Liam Messam, who was deemed ineligible for the quarter-final.

Sanzaar ruled Messam, who has only played two games this season as he pursued an Olympic sevens berth, wasn't eligible as the Chiefs had sufficient cover in their loose forward ranks.