Hurricanes' Nehe Milner-Skudder to miss rest of Super Rugby season
Wednesday 16 March 2016 17:03, UK
New Zealand's Nehe Milner-Skudder will miss the rest of the Super Rugby season with a shoulder injury, the Hurricanes have confirmed.
Milner-Skudder, who enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, dislocated his shoulder in the Hurricanes' hard-fought victory over the Blues last Friday, and will also miss the All Blacks' Test series against Wales this summer.
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said scans had confirmed the 25-year-old back needed surgery, ending his Super Rugby campaign just three rounds into the competition.
Boyd described Milner-Skudder's injury as "unfortunate" but said the Hurricanes had an able back-up in former Test winger Cory Jane.
"Losing Nehe is a blow and obviously disappointing for him," he said.
"But we're really lucky in that we have a lot of depth in the outside backs and when you can bring a 53-Test All Black like Cory Jane into the team, you aren't going too bad."
Milner-Skudder displaced Jane in last year's World Cup squad and his injury means the veteran 33-year-old may now figure in All Blacks coach Steve Hansen's calculations for the Wales series.
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