Although the esr was high, the capacitors didn't look like they were leaking and because the CPU card is quite dense in terms of component placement, I thought that I'd try an alternative method of removal than applying a suitable bit of desoldering wick to the pads and then lifting one side at a time with a soldering iron (no smd tweezers!).
The easiest way of removing a difficult surface mount capacitor is to use a thin sharp blade to cut the legs where they come out of the can, but if you slip with the blade you could easily damage nearby components or tracks or open up your fingers, so care is required.
The pictures show how I did this, it's easy enough if you aren't in hurry. I mostly try repairing old computers because I find it therapeutic, bear in mind that I don't mind taking all day if it works suitably. I then soldered on two new capacitors and the CPU now works fine.
