Rugby: Canes bide their time on injuries to star trio

Savea, Milner-Skudder and Jane wait for clearance before final team named.

The Hurricanes will likely wait until Thursday to make a call on injured players Ardie Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Cory Jane ahead of Saturday's Super Rugby final against the Highlanders in Wellington.

Jane (hamstring) has played only once in the past month and is thought to be racing against the clock, while Milner-Skudder (hamstring) played 40 minutes of the Hurricanes' 29-9 semifinal victory over the Brumbies in the capital during the weekend before he was pulled. Savea (knee) limped off in the second spell on Saturday and was sent for a scan yesterday afternoon.

"He's actually pulled up quite well, to be honest, so that's promising," Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said of Savea. "Cory and Nehe's hamstrings will undergo further testing and evaluation."

Jane's experience and reliable defence would be a useful asset for the Hurricanes in a competition-decider and if he was cleared it would allow Milner-Skudder, who is expected to be passed fit, to push back to his usual home of fullback. Milner-Skudder was commissioned on the right wing during the weekend with James Marshall in the No 15 jersey.

The other spanner in the works is around the goal-kicking where Marshall took the kicking tee in the second half of the semifinal after Barrett overtrained last week, which put pressure on his hip.

Marshall may be required to be in the starting line-up on Saturday to kick the goals.

Boyd said no decision had been made around who would kick this week, which could prove a crucial call in a crunch match.

"Beaudie will be the first-choice if he's able to kick."

Playing at home is seen as a major advantage in Super Rugby and the Hurricanes were delighted to play in front of a sell-out crowd against the Brumbies with the same type of atmosphere expected for the final.

Boyd said his side laid the platform to win home advantage by the way they began the campaign with a collection of wins, including a perfect road trip to South Africa and Australia where they toppled the Lions, Bulls and Force.

"The fact we started really well has probably given us the right to be here," Boyd said. "What we earned at the very start of the season was the ability to be at home for a semi and a final."

The Highlanders are peaking at the right stage of the competition and look an imposing prospect after they swept past the Waratahs 35-17 in their semifinal in Sydney on Saturday night.

Hurricanes hooker Dane Coles said the Highlanders forward pack, which is light on household names but doesn't lack commitment, featured the type of players you wanted in your ranks.

"They just go to work and play for each other," Coles said.

Coles grew up on the Kapiti Coast and was a Hurricanes fan before he started playing for his home team and the sight of a full Cake Tin for the semifinal was a highlight for him.

"It actually brought a massive smile to my face to finally see the stadium packed," he said. "We've worked so hard, as long as I've been in the team, to get the public back on our side and the only way you can do that is with results and we've done that."