Strauss and Coles face off in World Cup preview

HURRICANES forward Dane Coles expects the clash against the Bulls at Loftus tomorrow night will be physical enough to grind bones to powder.

The All Blacks incumbent hooker will come up against Springbok opposite number Adriaan Strauss in Pretoria in what is expected to be the pair’s first costume rehearsal ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup in Britain.

Asked whom he would rather face between Strauss and Sharks hooker Bismarck du Plessis, Coles implied that was like being made to choose between a steel or granite surface.

“Adriaan and Bismarck are both incredible, world-class players..

“Bismarck is good up front and around the fringes and over the ball (at the breakdown), whereas Strauss is good in contact and has a bit of skill. They are both very physical players and I respect them both,” Coles said.

“Strauss moving to the Bulls would have been a huge loss for the Cheetahs but the Bulls have been greatly strengthened.”

Coles, 28, is in a similar boat as Strauss when it comes to sharing the national team jersey. He has to alternate the All Blacks No 2 shirt with experienced Blues hooker Keven Mealamu. Some prefer the raw brute force Mealamu brings — not to mention his World Cup-winning experience — while there are those who would much rather see the nimble, nifty Coles.

But they are more useful to the match 23 together, as are Strauss and Du Plessis for Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.

“I’ve never played in a World Cup and I’d love to be there but that starts with me having a good season with the Hurricanes,” said Coles.

“If I’m consistent then I’ll have a good shot at finally playing in one. There’s a lot of football between now and then but it is definitely at the back of my mind.

“It does put a little bit of pressure for me to perform. I’ve never been one to take things for granted. I always want to prove to myself, the All Blacks and Hurricanes coaches that I deserve to be there. That’s the attitude I’ve taken my whole career.”

Despite a morale-boosting 22-8 win over the Lions at Ellis Park last Friday, Coles believes the Hurricanes, who showed marked defensive application in the game, still have much to work on.

“We’ll need to step it up and be more clinical against the Bulls,” he said. “We didn’t have much ball against the Lions, either — that wasn’t the plan. But we … showed a lot of heart on defence. We’ll have to protect the ball a bit more.

“We’ve had to beef up our defence — that’s what wins matches. We can attack, we know that, but if our defence can match our attack then we’ll be in with a good chance of winning the competition.”