Canes sweating over injured stars
The Hurricanes are set to delay the announcement of their team for the Super Rugby Final as long as possible.
The Canes host the Highlanders in the first all-New Zealand Super Rugby Final in a decade when the two Kiwi sides go head-to-head in Wellington on Saturday.
However, the hosts are sweating over the fitness of three key players – openside flank Ardie Savea, as well as outside backs Nehe Milner-Skudder and Cory Jane.
Savea came off early with a knee complaint in the second half of the 29-9 semifinal win over the Brumbies at the weekend and coach Chris Boyd says the result of a scan will determine the seriousness of the damage.
"He has actually pulled up quite well, so that's promising," Boyd said on Monday.
Both Milner-Skudder and Jane are battling hamstring complaints.
Milner-Skudder went off at half-time against the Brumbies as a precaution, whereas Jane didn't make it on the teamsheet.
Boyd doesn't expect confirmation about either player's availability before Thursday.
"I think Nehe will be fine, but Cory's is a bit more problematic."
Milner-Skudder wasn't passed fit for the semifinal until after the warm up and Boyd hinted he'd take a similar approach with Savea before the Final.
"At the end of the day there's not much after Saturday for him, so if we can get him across the line to start we will" the coach said.
"We'll prepare as if they're not going to be there, but if we can get them across the line they'll play."
Boyd said flyhalf Beauden Barrett would remain the Hurricanes' No.1 goal-kicking option.
Barrett missed two out of three attempts against the Brumbies before handing the duties to fullback James Marshall, who landed three from four.
Boyd said Barrett had overtrained in kicking practice last week and felt strain in his hips during the match.
"Beaudy will be the first-choice kicker if he's able to kick," he said.
The Hurricanes will go into the Final having beaten the Highlanders in the sides' two meetings this year, the second a 56-20 thumping in Napier in early June.
But Boyd is reading little into those results, noting that the Highlanders stood down Ben Smith, Malakai Fekitoa and Aaron Smith from the McLean Park encounter as part of the All Blacks' rest programme.
Wing Patrick Osborne and No.8 Nasi Manu were also absent from that match.
"That's five key players for them," Boyd said.
"So we will take absolutely no energy from that performance at all."
The Hurricanes headed to the pool two days after trouncing the Brumbies and Boyd said he'd been surprised how well his players had come out of the match.
"I actually think it wasn't as physical as we thought it would be.
"It was a tough contest, but all the boys have been in for recovery this [Monday] morning, they're off to the pool, we've got massage this afternoon, so I actually think they've pulled up pretty well."
Sources: NZ Newswire, Stuff & NZ Herald
