Super 15 round-up: Nehe Milner-Skudder shines for Hurricanes, Rebels crush Reds

Sport360 staff 13:02 04/04/2015
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  • Breakthrough: Julian Savea goes over after taking a superb pass from Nehe Milner-Skudder.

    The Wellington Hurricanes survived a second-half fight back by the Western Stormers to maintain their unbeaten Super 15 record with a 25-20 victory yesterday.

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    A 12-minute burst before half-time, in which they scored three tries, propelled the Hurricanes to a 25-3 lead at the break before they surrendered 17 unanswered points in the second half.

    Their running game, effectively led by Nehe Milner-Skudder in the first half, fell away and it was only resolute defence that limited the Stormers to two tries.

    “The basics were letting us down. The set piece which worked so well for us had a few problems and the Stormers started playing really well,” Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith said.

    “They were looking after the ball and weren’t making mistakes and we weren’t getting the turnovers we were in the first half and suddenly it was a different game.”

    One bright spot for the Hurricanes in their seventh win from seven games was the continued development of full-back Milner-Skudder, whose two late tries last week also ensured the Hurricanes overcame the Melbourne Rebels.

    Against the Stormers the 24-year-old nephew of George Skudder and cousin of Buff Milne – both former All Blacks – was a central figure in two of their three tries.

    Milner-Skudder scored the Hurricanes’ first try when he raced through to beat the cover defence to a Beauden Barrett corner kick, and set up the second try by slicing through to send Julian Savea over.

    The Hurricanes’ third was a full-field effort from turnover ball when they were defending.

    Ma’a Nonu, playing his 150th Super game, led the break out with Cory Jane and Brad Shields also handling before Barrett finished off the move.

    Barrett also kicked two conversions and two penalties while Stormers’ Demetri Catrakilis replied with a penalty as the Hurricanes went into the half-time break with a healthy 25-3 lead.

    The Stormers then turned down three penalty shots at goal to get their first try and were rewarded with a penalty try when the Hurricanes scrum collapsed on their own line. 

    Huw Jones, denied one try for an offside, made no mistake with his second chance and scored in the corner in the 65th minute as itnarrowed to 25-17. Kurt Coleman’s penalty got them a bonus point.

    Horwill off and Cooper injured as Reds crash

    Clinching try: Nic Stirzaker.

    The Melbourne Rebels took advantage of 14-man Queensland Reds for only their second win over the struggling 2011 Super Rugby champions in Melbourne.

    The Rebels won 23-15, scoring three tries to two, but the match swung on the 21st minute dismissal of Reds lock James Horwill to leave Queensland playing for the rest of the game a man down.

    Former Wallaby skipper Horwill was sent off for the use of a swinging arm in a ruck for his second red card of the season.

    There was further woe for the beleaguered Reds with star fly-half Quade Cooper injuring his right shoulder midway through the second half in only his second match back from a broken collarbone.

    It also continued Queensland’s wretched start to the season with their sixth loss in seven games for their worst start to a season since their wooden spoon season in 2007.

    The Rebels, with flanker Sean McMahon and scrum-half Nic Stirzaker outstanding, trailed 12-3 at the time of Horwill’s sending-off.

    Horwill scored the opening try in the sixth minute and No.8 Jake Schatz crossed seven minutes later after good lead-up play by Liam Gill.

    Immediately after Horwill’s dismissal, the Rebels forward pack pushed over the try-line after a lineout win for Lopeti Timani to score.

    Cooper kicked the Reds to a 15-10 lead but winger Tom English scored wide to level the scores at half time.

    The Rebels dominated the Reds in the second half and the clinching try came through Stirzaker, who trailed through a break by winger Sefanaia Naivalu to score with 14 minutes left.

    Mike Harris sealed the win with a penalty goal in the 71st minute.

    “We’re happy to get the result, but I can’t say we would be too pleased with the performance,” Rebels skipper Scott Higginbotham said. “Credit to the Reds with 14 men. They really dug in and stuck into us.”

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