Coles: Naming felt like my first time like my first time
How else would two Hurricanes – and sometime All Blacks – hookers greet each other?
Lip readers would’ve had a field day on Friday, as Dane Coles made his much-anticipated return to rugby. Out since rupturing knee ligaments during the All Blacks’ clash with France last November, the 31-year-old made his comeback off the bench for Wellington in their Mitre 10 Cup match against Taranaki.
And who should be waiting for him but Ricky Riccitelli, the player who has been at the heart of the Hurricanes’ front row in Coles’ absences over the last three Super Rugby seasons.
‘‘He was giving it to me like ‘what’s this old bastard doing here’. Nah, but he did say welcome back which was a nice touch and it was just so much fun to be back out there,’’ Coles said after being named to tour Japan and Europe with the All Blacks later this month.
Fun’s been thin on the ground for Coles as he tried to make his way back onto the paddock this year. After the knee, calf, rib and concussion problems of previous seasons, this knee-ligament rupture has proved problematic.
The first surgery, last December, wasn’t a success and a further clean up was required in May. Since then the odd calf twinge had slowed his progress, until Friday’s 16 minutes off the bench in New Plymouth.
Coles will now play for Wellington in Saturday’s Premiership semifinal against Auckland at Eden Park, then catch up with the All Blacks in Yokohama, where they will have already headed off for the October 27 clash with Australia.
‘‘It feels like my first time, being named again. There’s just a lot of emotions. As everyone knows it’s been a tough year so to hear your name called out in the
A member of the All Blacks’ senior players’ group, Coles was very nervous ahead of the Taranaki game. He knew Steve Hansen and the New Zealand selectors wanted him in their touring party but, in his own mind, he needed to actually play some footy to merit selection.
‘‘I didn’t want to go straight to a test match. I didn’t think that would be the best thing for me and the team,’’ he said.
Which is why he will delay his departure to Japan to play for Wellington in their semifinal, then look to be available for whatever comes his way on the five-test tour.
After ‘‘pretty much a year of preseason’’ Coles is eager for all the playing time he can get.
He just needs to keep his head. ‘‘I’ve definitely thought about going out and not, I guess, being over-aroused and doing something stupid, because it’s been so long.’’