Rugby-Milner-Skudder grabs hat-trick as Hurricanes hammer Rebels

WELLINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Nehe Milner-Skudder grabbed a hat-trick of tries in a brilliant return from injury as the Wellington Hurricanes destroyed the Melbourne Rebels 71-6 in their Super Rugby match on Saturday.

Sidelined for a year after shoulder surgery, the fleet-footed All Blacks back grabbed the Hurricanes' first try early and crossed twice late in the game to continue the defending champions' rampaging start to the season.

Inside centre Ngani Laumape and winger Vince Aso each scored a brace of tries, with Matt Proctor, Reed Prinsep, Ardie Savea and his brother Julian also touching down in the 11-try rout at Wellington Regional Stadium.

The Hurricanes, who obliterated Japan's Sunwolves 83-17 in a Super Rugby record victory in Tokyo last week, have now scored 24 tries from their opening two matches of the season.

"It's obviously been a pretty good start," Hurricanes captain Dane Coles said at the sunbathed stadium.

"It was just good how we carried on that attack from last week ... I thought when we were direct and kept things simple we opened them up."

The Hurricanes started slowly and trailed 6-0 after the ninth minute following penalties to Rebels inside centre Reece Hodge.

But it was all downhill from that point for the visiting Rebels, who were similarly belted by the Auckland Blues at home in the season-opener last week.

Milner-Skudder scored with one of his first touches in the 17th minute, jinking through two defenders to canter over the line near the right post after flyhalf Beauden Barrett set him up with an incisive run and pass.

Minutes later, Barrett created the next try, too, with a deftly placed kick that Aso pounced on and bolted 40 metres up the touchline to cross at the right corner.

Laumape then crashed through a defensive hole off the side of a scrum in the 27th minute, with Aso grabbing his team's fourth try in a 15-minute burst.

Aso set up Proctor for the Hurricanes' fifth a minute before halftime, drawing two defenders out wide before a sumptuous off-load to the outside centre near the right touchline.

Barrett's conversion put the home side 31-6 up at the break and the carnage continued after half-time.

Ardie Savea was the beneficiary of an explosive run from his brother Julian two minutes into the second half, with Prinsep grabbing another 15 minutes later.

Julian Savea was rewarded with a try of his own in the 65th minute. After grabbing his second in the 71st minute, Milner-Skudder had his third gift-wrapped four minutes later by a quality off-load from replacement back Jordie Barrett.

Laumape completed the Rebels' humiliation by intercepting a pass and running 90 metres for the Hurricanes' final try three minutes from the final hooter. (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)