Super Rugby News
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Star Hurricanes Dane Coles and Nehe Milner-Skudder still not fit to play
HAMISH BIDWELL
Last updated 14:26, May 1 2017Dane Coles' torn calf muscle is still not right.
The Hurricanes captain hasn't played since March 18 and again sat and watched while the team's forwards went through lineout moves on Monday. The hooker will fully participate in training once he's able, then it'll be another couple of weeks until he's fit enough to play.
Progress has been even slower for fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder. He was due to see a specialist on Monday but remains no closer to taking off the moon boot he's been in since fracturing bones in his foot on March 10.
Like Coles, he's still a few weeks away from being able to audition for a place in the All Blacks to meet the British and Irish Lions.
It's Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd who'll eventually get first dibs on the pair, though.
"He's pretty good. Obviously he's frustrated, because he's a frustrated, angry man anyway. Or can be," Boyd said of Coles.
"He's trying to be as philosophical as he can be, but he knows he's just got to be patient."
Coles injured his right knee in the March 18 win over the Highlanders. But his calf then went while rehabilitating the original injury, which Coles has a lengthening history of.
"If you get a shoulder injury, you can still put [a] load through it," said Boyd.
Calves are different, though.
"The more load you put through it, the more it creaks, and if you put too much load through it, then you've got to go back [to the start] again," Boyd said.
The frustration from the outside is that every week Coles is apparently in contention to play and then ruled out. This time around, Boyd at least indicated the captain was very unlikely to be named in the team to play the Stormers at Westpac Stadium on Friday.
Given riding a watt bike is about the extent of the leg work Coles is able to do, it seems safe to assume it'll be a good fortnight or so until he replaces Ricky Riccitelli in the starting side.
The situation is similar for Milner-Skudder, who was initially forecast to miss just a month of football. But his metatarsal bones haven't knit as well as hoped and "he won't play the next couple of weeks," said Boyd.
In other fitness-related news, centre Matt Proctor remains sidelined with concussion symptoms, meaning Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso seem likely to start in midfield against the Stormers.
Number eight Blade Thomson is still expected to have a full shoulder reconstruction and won't be sighted until next season. Lock Michael Fatialofa might play again this year, though, provided surgery to repair his dislocated kneecap goes well.
One player who'll be back a lot sooner is loosehead prop Loni Uhila. He injured a calf at the Brisbane Global Tens, then worsened that problem in the March 10 loss to the Chiefs.
Uhila scrummaged at Monday's training session for the first time since and Boyd said he would play club rugby in the next two weeks and hopefully be right to go on the Hurricanes' trip to Pretoria and Perth later this month.
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@Tim said in Super Rugby News:
A pretty good XV can be assembled from the injury lists:
- Goodes
- Coles
- Laulala
- Tuipulotu
- Fatialofa
- Kaino
- D. Pryor
- Read
- TKB
- Sopoaga
- Dagg
- Ngatai
- Proctor
- NMS
- B. Smith
Would still beat all the Australia and South African teams, plus the Sunwolves and the Jaguares...
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@Billy-Tell whilst injured!
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Jamie-Jerry Taulagi (Sunwolves) suspended for 5 weeks for his dangerous tackle (shoulder v head) on Shaun Stevenson
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@Bovidae Why not?
He's had four seasons as a Super head coach, coached Japan, assisted at the Crusaders, Highlanders and Mako$.
Hard to see who's going to be close to as experienced given that it seems none of the supposed big gun NZers in the NH seem to want the job of coaching our Super teams? Plumtree, I suppose - but he may not be interested and the cupboard looks a bit bare behind him.
I reckon Hammett will be good!
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Sam Whitelock suspended for 2 weeks. That means that he'll miss the games v the Bulls and the Hurricanes. The first one won't be a problem for the Crusaders, but the second ...
Two-week ban for Whitelock
Crusaders second-row Sam Whitelock has been handed a two-week suspension for striking a Cheetahs player in their game on Saturday.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Sam Whitelock suspended for 2 weeks. That means that he'll miss the games v the Bulls and the Hurricanes. The first one won't be a problem for the Crusaders, but the second ...
Crusaders second-row Sam Whitelock has been handed a two-week suspension for striking a Cheetahs player in their game on Saturday.
I'm probably the only one who is glad this has happened. Am thinking with my ABs cap on though. Have been of the opinion that Roberston has not managed Whitelock's workload well this year and he's played almost every minute of the season so far. The break will do him a lot of good.
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@akan004 said in Super Rugby News:
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Sam Whitelock suspended for 2 weeks. That means that he'll miss the games v the Bulls and the Hurricanes. The first one won't be a problem for the Crusaders, but the second ...
Crusaders second-row Sam Whitelock has been handed a two-week suspension for striking a Cheetahs player in their game on Saturday.
I'm probably the only one who is glad this has happened. Am thinking with my ABs cap on though. Have been of the opinion that Roberston has not managed Whitelock's workload well this year and he's played almost every minute of the season so far. The break will do him a lot of good.
I dunno. I think Sammy W's leadership has been a revelation for the Saders this season, and a bloody big part of why they sit at the top of the log. He must be one of the players that thrives on playing every minute and I like the way Scott Robertson has given him the reins.
