Milner-Skudder hit by injury curse again
It could have been worse, is the feeling after Hurricanes fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder’s latest injury setback.
Milner-Skudder has been ruled out for the next six weeks at least, with a fractured foot, which he suffered during the second half of the Hurricanes’ 26-18 Super Rugby loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.
Such is Milner-Skudder’s recent luck, when he was sprawled on the turf after hurting his foot, there were fears it could be a repeat of last season, when he injured his shoulder in March and missed the rest of the year.
Scans this week revealed a small fracture in his right foot that will require rest, but will not need surgery.
No-one in Hurricanes camp was fronting the media yesterday, but Milner-Skudder detailed his injury in a statement. ‘‘It’s disappointing, but these things happen in rugby,’’ he said.
‘‘All I can do is focus on the rehab and making sure I do everything right to get back on the field.
‘‘The encouraging thing is the medical staff don’t believe there will be any long-term issues. It was just a freak accident.’’
The injury came when Milner-Skudder was trying to step through the Chiefs’ defensive line and was tackled by Aaron Cruden and Mitchell Brown.
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said it was impossible to put an exact time frame on Milner-Skudder’s return.
‘‘That all depends on how quickly he heals, so it’s just speculation at this point, but the sooner the better.’’
The fullback-wing had only just returned to action after being sidelined since March last year, while a hamstring niggle kept him out of week one of this year’s competition.