It’s unreal to be back: Milner-skudder
Maybe it’ll be a fairytale finish for Nehe Milner-skudder?
It would probably be a stretch to suggest his last two years have been a rugby nightmare. But a combination of shoulder, hamstring and foot injuries have ensured the dazzling outside back has made just a handful of Super Rugby appearances in that time.
The latest came off the bench in Perth, as the Hurricanes beat the Force 34-12 in Perth yesterday.
You’d assume those 20-odd minutes are unlikely to be enough to secure Milner-skudder a start in the All Blacks’ team to play Samoa on June 16 or the first test of the British and Irish Lions’ series on June 24. But there are still New Zealand Maori and Hurricanes games to come against the Lions, and who knows how things might look after that.
The main thing for the personable 26-year-old is that he’s finally back on the paddock.
‘‘It was unreal. Just the whole week, flying over [from Wellington] and meeting the boys over there and then getting a week 20-minute cameo off the bench and just to be around the boys and watch them put in a pretty awesome performance was great,’’ Milner-skudder said.
Playing on the right wing, as a replacement for Cory Jane, he got one chance to show his attacking wares in the lead-up to Ngani Laumape’s second try. Otherwise the Hurricanes spent most of that time defending grimly.
Time will tell if Milner-skudder now gets a start in Friday’s muchawaited clash with the Chiefs in Wellington. Between him and Jane, fullback Jordie Barrett and wing Julian Savea, who’s on 99 Super Rugby appearances for the Hurricanes, the team have some good players to find places for.
The team for the Chiefs game will be named on Wednesday, with the All Blacks and Maori squads to be announced the following day. Milner-skudder’s ‘‘not too sure’’ about what part he’ll now play in that Lions’ tour.
‘‘I guess all will be revealed on Thursday. I obviously would’ve liked to be playing a few more games for the Hurricanes this yeah but injuries, those things happen, so it’s out of my control really. I’ll just see what the story is on Thursday and go from there.’’
In terms of the Hurricanes, Milner-skudder described their performance against the Force as awesome and parts of it definitely were. The team didn’t always execute their exit plays too well, but it would be hard to fault what they produced on defence.
Camped on their line and just 17-7 in front, the Hurricanes could have waved the white flag. Instead late tries to Vince Aso, TJ Perenara and Laumape saw them emerge from the match with a bonus-point victory.
‘‘The Force had a lot of ball in that first half - and pretty much the whole game - and a lot of territory as well and the boys had to pull off a couple of try-savers and really go to the depths to hold them out. It was bloody pleasing.’’