Cadeyrn Neville out of hospital to boost Brumbies' Super Rugby hopes

Now the ACT Brumbies lock will end a four-week stint on the sidelines when he returns to the starting XV for a must-win game against the Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

Neville jokes he felt like the most well-rested player in the competition whenever he read he was being rested over the past month - but in truth he was battling a knee infection he thought could end his season prematurely.

The 34-year-old cut his knee open during a game in Wellington on April 28, and has since watched the Brumbies slide to fourth following consecutive losses over the past fortnight.

Being back in the fold to help the Brumbies secure a home quarter-final next week certainly feels better than watching from the stands.

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"The first one I even watched it from hospital, so it's a lot better than that," Neville grinned as he opened up on the knee injury that left him hobbling around Brumbies headquarters for weeks.

"I split my knee open pretty bad in the Hurricanes game. I probably would have been looking at a week or two on the sidelines anyway, but that got pretty nastily infected so it just extended things a little bit more.

"I went back through the footage to try and see when it was just dirty and when it was covered in blood, and I couldn't really pinpoint it.

"I was on a drip for five days in Canberra public hospital. It wasn't the most enjoyable period of time.

"You really need your knee to bend to do most of the job what we do. It was really coming quite slowly for a bit, but you've just got to keep pushing it until things come your way."

Neville's return accounts for one of eight changes to the Brumbies side named to face the Rebels, whose slim finals hopes hang in the balance as they enter the final round of the regular season.

Veteran props Allan Alaalatoa [calf] and James Slipper [away following the birth of his daughter] are both missing, so too Noah Lolesio [concussion] as Jack Debreczini starts at flyhalf.

It makes the return of Neville and scrumhalf Nic White all the more important as the Brumbies desperately try to avoid slipping out of the top four.

"It's been a long road for Cadeyrn. He's been out for four games, which is quite significant," Larkham said.

"He's got a big engine, he's a big body, he's a workhorse around the field as well. The boys love playing with him and it's good to see him back out there."

The Rebels head to Canberra in 11th spot, needing a bonus-point victory plus a string of results to fall their way to sneak into the finals.

If that wasn't enough motivation for coach Kevin Foote's troops, outside centre Reece Hodge is poised to play his 100^th game for the Rebels while Matt Philip will compete with Neville for a place in Eddie Jones' Wallabies squad.

The Brumbies' season has stalled in recent weeks but Neville believes "there's a lot of reason to be optimistic" on the eve of the finals.

"I don't really go 'it would have been better if I was in there', but I feel the same pain as if I was out there when things are not going our way," Neville said.

"I am back into team sessions this week which is great, because I don't enjoy training on my own that much. It's good to be back amongst what we're here for."

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