Tour setback for Milner-Skudder

Editor

World Cup winner Nehe Milner-Skudder is set to miss New Zealand's end-of-year tour as he continues to be sidelined with a shoulder injury.

One of the stars of the 2015 tournament in England and Wales, Milner-Skudder suffered a dislocated shoulder in Round Three of Super Rugby.

And according to All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen, it appears unlikely that the 25-year-old wing or full-back will play again this year.

"At the moment we don't see him being available for the end of year tour… he would probably need everything to go pitch-perfect," Hansen told the NZ Herald.

"Is the risk too high? We wouldn't want to take him and for him to get injured again. We'll assess him later nearer the time… if there's any doubt at all we won't take him.

"My understanding is that if he was going to be right for the tour we'd only get him for one game. Do we need to push it? The simple answer is no we don't."

New Zealand face Ireland in Chicago on November 5 before travelling to Rome to take on Italy, Dublin to meet Ireland and finally Paris for clash with France.