Coles ruled out for Bledisloe

Another week, another cruel setback for world-class All Blacks hooker Dane Coles.

Coles has been ruled out of Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup rugby test in Sydney, with the 30-yearold, 49-test hooker’s head injury issues making a worrying return.

The setback comes just as Coles looked to have finally shaken off a persistent head problem that had kept him out of Super Rugby for four months since March, and also forced him to miss the drawn series against the British and Irish Lions.

He made it back to the field for the Hurricanes’ playoff run, which came to a halt at the semifinal stage in Johannesburg, and played in the All Blacks’ ‘‘game of three halves’’ hitout against Taranaki and Counties Manukau in Pukekohe on Friday night.

But it was in that match that Coles picked up another head knock, with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen confirming that had forced him to be withdrawn from Saturday’s opening Bledisloe match.

Coles’ Hurricanes team-mate, Ricky Riccitelli, has been summoned to Sydney as a replacement, with Crusaders hooker Cody Taylor set to resume the starting role he had against the British and Irish Lions, and Nathan Harris remaining bench cover.

Riccitelli impressed during the Super Rugby season as Coles’ long-term replacement, and has been rewarded for a series of lively displays.

Hansen said Coles had left the field in Pukekohe ‘‘as a precaution’’ and would not be considered this week in Sydney. That continues a no-risks policy in the All Blacks squad when it comes to head knocks.

Hansen said Coles would be further assessed by team medical staff during the week in Sydney.

The All Blacks have also released outside backs Nehe Milner-skudder and David Havili for the week. The pair will rejoin them in Dunedin for Bledisloe II.

Coles’ setback will be a major concern, given the ongoing nature of his problems during Super Rugby.

Skipper Kieran Read had just spoken prior to the team’s departure for Sydney how good it had been to have the ball-playing hooker back in the mix.

‘‘It’s awesome to see him back on the field enjoying himself and enjoying his footy,’’ Read had said.’’

The All Blacks are adamant they respect the Wallabies, and point to their one-sided recent Bledisloe record as proof positive of that.

As they get set to step into what could resemble a three-ring circus in Sydney this week, the All Blacks skipper made it clear that Cheika’s wild accusations after the Eden Park Bledisloe last October had no basis.

It was after that match, and a dominant All Blacks series sweep over the outmatched Wallabies, that Cheika accused the All Blacks of lacking respect for his team, citing a newspaper cartoon and a perceived notion that the New Zealand camp had blamed them for planting a listening bug found at the team hotel in Sydney prior to the first matchup.

That simmering discontent has had the best part of a year to fester since then, so just what sort of form it manifests as on Saturday night will be interesting, to say the least.

Given the parlous state of the Australian game, the open revolt taking place over the Super Rugby axing of the Western Force, the decision by ARU boss Bill Pulver to fall on his sword, and plunging TV ratings and live attendances, the last thing they need is another Bledis-woe embarrassment at the hands of the All Blacks.

But Read was adamant his team maintained the utmost respect for the Wallabies when he spoke to media before boarding an afternoon flight to Sydney to launch preparations.

In fact, the skip says the fact that the All Blacks have lost just one of the last 16 Bledisloe tests, and that they’ve kept the big shiny trophy tucked safely away in their cabinet since 2003, is testament to the depths of that respect.

‘‘We respect them totally,’’ said Read. ‘‘They’re talented, and if they put it together we know they’re a dangerous side.

‘‘We’ll go out and play hard ... our biggest respect to the opposition is we bring the best game we can. That shows that we respect them, and we’ll be doing that again [on Saturday].’’

But Read anticipated a staunch challenge from the Wallabies, given the background, the desperation factor and extended preparation time they have been afforded.

‘‘I anticipate a pretty strong effort from them,’’ he said. ‘‘They have a coach who’s pretty dominant in his mindset. He wants to go out and win games. He wants to beat up other teams.’’