Manawatu wing Nehe Milner-Skudder says he feels for Hurricanes team-mate Cory Jane, who missed out on a place in the All Blacks' World Cup squad.
Milner-Skudder's meteoric rise has been capped by his naming in the All Blacks 31-man squad named to defend their title.
The 24-year-old starred in the two recent tests against the Wallabies, with his form so compelling Hansen said he simply had to be included, alongside fellow wing Waisake Naholo.
Milner-Skudder beat Cory Jane for a place in the outside backs and has plenty of sympathy for his Hurricanes team-mate.
"I feel for Cory, it's the nature of the beast. But he's been huge since I started with the Hurricanes last year in the wider training group."
"He's helped my game and he's just an all round good bugger and I really do feel for CJ."
Jane, Israel Dagg and Charles Piutau were the unlucky outside backs to miss out on selection.
The All Blacks have a camp in Wellington this week and Auckland next week, before heading off to England with their first game against Argentina in exactly three weeks.
Naholo braced for bad news
The Fijian folk healer credited with Waisake Naholo's "miracle" comeback from a broken leg says a local leaf and a "gift of god" helped the All Black wing recover in time to make the World Cup.
Waisake Naholo Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Naholo, who was told by doctors he'd be sidelined for three months after he fractured his leg in July, was one of the biggest talking points of coach Steve Hansen's squad.
The Highlanders wing is expected to be available for the All Blacks third pool game against Georgia in early October.
Naholo said he had just resumed jogging and was not expecting to be named in the squad when he got a call from All Blacks manager Darren Shand.
"I was at home with my brother and my phone rang and it was Shandy [Darren Shand] and it sounded like it was going to be bad news at the start.
"The last couple of days I've started training as hard as I can again and I had no idea I was going to be named," he said.
