Super Rugby: Five talking points ahead of this weekend's matches

Alex Broun 08:59 26/04/2018
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  • Jordan Hyland is enjoying his break from Drain-laying with the Blues

    Hyland’s fling, a Canberra family affair and the Hurricanes welcoming back their All Blacks wing are among five talking points ahead of this week’s Super Rugby action.

    Drain-layer lives the dream

    While the Blues injury crisis has put coach Tana Umaga under pressure, it has also provided a welcome change from laying drains for winger Jordan Hyland.

    The 28-year-old had a promising junior career derailed by three ligament injuries and was working with a drainage firm and playing semi-professional rugby for Northland when he received a call-up from the Blues.

    He scored two tries on his Super Rugby debut against the Sunwolves and experienced first-hand the intensity of a New Zealand derby in last week’s 34-16 loss to the Highlanders.

    Hyland said he was never ready to give up on rugby even after being sidelined for three years and was thrilled to finally have an opportunity.

    “I didn’t want to just hang up my boots. I wanted to press on and make something of it,” he said.

    “I do enjoy the drain-laying… but this is definitely the dream.”

    Brothers and friends face off

    Wallabies prop Scott Sio is set to square off against family friend and junior team-mate Mike Alaalatoa for the first time when the Brumbies take on New Zealand heavyweights the Crusaders in Canberra on Saturday.

    The pair grew up together in Sydney before their Super Rugby journeys took them different ways, which led to Alaalatoa moving to Christchurch to launch his career with the Crusaders.

    Sio joined the Brumbies and is now teaming up with Mike’s younger brother Allan as they attempt to register Australian rugby’s first trans-Tasman win in the past 35 matches against Kiwi opposition.

    The Alaalatoa family have designed a “Team Alaalatoa” logo for Brumbies and Crusaders battles and Saturday’s showdown will be significant for Sio.

    “It’s special for Allan for sure and for me too, I’m looking forward to playing against Mike if he’s in there,” Sio said.

    “We grew up playing on the same teams. I’m the same age as Mike and Allan is the same age as my younger brother, Pat. I haven’t had the chance to play against Mike so far, so I’m looking forward to it.

    Rodda’s Reds rallying cry

    Young lock Izack Rodda is calling on the Queensland Reds forwards to match the South African conference leaders Lions in Brisbane on Saturday.

    The four-Test Wallaby says he knows the formula to turn around the Reds’ run of four losses against the Johannesburg-based Lions, who overpowered the NSW Waratahs 29-0 in Sydney last week.

    “I learned personally, as with every South African team, you’ve got to match them physically,” Rodda said.

    “If you don’t they’ll just bully you out of the game.”

    Robbie Fleck (l) and Jean de Villiers - still trying to believe in the Stormers

    Robbie Fleck (l) and Jean de Villiers – still trying to believe in the Stormers

    Fleck talks up Stormers

    Stormers host Melbourne Rebels in Cape Town with coach Robbie Fleck believing his team can reach the knockout phase despite losing six of nine matches.

    “Five of our remaining seven matches are at home so we can still qualify by finishing among the top eight in the combined standings,” insisted the former South Africa centre.

    Stormers, who trail eighth-place Bulls by five points, host Rebels, Bulls, Chiefs, Lions and Sharks and are away to Sunwolves and Jaguares.

    The Cape Town side reached the 2016 and 2017 quarter-finals, losing at home to Chiefs on both occasions.

    Injury-prone Milner-Skudder’s back

    The in-form Hurricanes welcome back All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder who will be hoping his injury nightmares are behind him after almost seven months out with a shoulder injury.

    Milner-Skudder, 27, has been named on the bench for Friday’s match against Japan’s Sunwolves and is expected to get about 30 minutes of game time as the Hurricanes chase their seventh straight win.

    The wing has endured a nightmare injury run since his breakthrough season in 2015 when he helped the All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup, scoring six tries in the tournament.

    A dislocated left shoulder sidelined him for the entire 2016 season. He returned to Super Rugby in March 2017 only to break his foot after two games.

    His other shoulder gave way against South Africa in October meaning that Milner-Skudder has played just 11 Tests since his 2015 All Blacks debut — but he still has the impressive average of a try a match.

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