interesting insights into hansens thinking regarding the All Blacks rakes fututre

All Blacks need Coles to shine

There are two fairly important boxes Steve Hansen hopes to have ticked by the end of Saturday's clash with the Springboks at Eden Park.

A win, which would secure the lead in the Rugby Championship, and confirmation that Dane Coles is the answer to the All Blacks' problems at hooker.

As uncertainty grows around the longevity of veterans Keven Mealamu and Andrew Hore, both aged 34, so does the urgency to secure long-term options ahead of the coming World Cup.

Coles is expected to be one of three All Blacks hookers at the tournament, while Mealamu's one-year contract with New Zealand Rugby will be extended to 2015 if his body allows it.

In just his third start in the black jersey, and first encounter with South Africa, the Hurricanes rake is expected to prove why he should have sovereignty over the No 2 jersey his mentors have shared for over a decade.

"He's someone we see as the future and we think now is the time to give him an opportunity to go against the best," Hansen said.

"We're comfortable where he's at from a fitness point of view - he's back playing games and if he hadn't injured his calf earlier in the year he probably would have started more Tests.

"We just think the timing is right."

Reports suggest that Hore will retire at the conclusion of the Championship in October, while he confirmed a return to the Highlanders for next year's Super Rugby season is unlikely.

Hansen admitted it altered his thinking around selections this week but the plan has always been to hand the reigns over to the 26-year-old Coles.

"Whether he [Hore] retires this year or next year, at some stage he's going to have to be replaced," Hansen said.

"We've been planning for it for quite a while but we haven't been prepared to put someone in the front row that we don't think is ready - hence why we've held on to both him and Kevy [Mealamu]."

Last month Hore said mentally he could cope with a third World Cup campaign but admitted a sabbatical might be needed to ensure he is physically up for it.

However, recent discussions with Hansen may have changed that view.

"When you think about 2015, I don't see Hore being there and I don't think he sees himself there," Hansen added.

"At some point we're going to have to make a change but we need Coles to be ready when we make that change."

It was hoped that Coles, who debuted on last year's European tour, would be an experienced operator by now, but a calf injury sustained in June denied him a possible total of six starts.

Since returning for Wellington in the ITM Cup, Coles' participation in the championship has been limited to two appearances from the bench including last week's win against Argentina.

"I just really want to prove to myself that I can play at international level, and what better chance than to play against the Boks," Coles said.

Cole's first challenge will be to stop his opposite, Bismark du Plessis, who is a master over the ball at the breakdown.

However, his biggest marks will come from his performance at the set-piece, particularly at the lineout where South Africa have selected just one specialist lock.

"They're a really physical side and I'm marking a world class hooker in Bismark. It's a big challenge but one that I'm excited about," he said.

"I've always loved watching Bismark play for the Sharks and the Springboks. I can't wait for the challenge."

 

Reports suggest that Hore will retire at the conclusion of the Championship in October, while he confirmed a return to the Highlanders for next year's Super Rugby season is unlikely.
Hansen admitted it altered his thinking around selections this week but the plan has always been to hand the reigns over to the 26-year-old Coles.
"Whether he [Hore] retires this year or next year, at some stage he's going to have to be replaced," Hansen said.
"We've been planning for it for quite a while but we haven't been prepared to put someone in the front row that we don't think is ready - hence why we've held on to both him and Kevy [Mealamu]."
Last month Hore said mentally he could cope with a third World Cup campaign but admitted a sabbatical might be needed to ensure he is physically up for it.
However, recent discussions with Hansen may have changed that view.
"When you think about 2015, I don't see Hore being there and I don't think he sees himself there," Hansen added.
"At some point we're going to have to make a change but we need Coles to be ready when we make that change."

wowsers, theres been some discussion on coles selection over hore on the All Blacks team named thread, and this article touches into what hansen was thinking.

but the biggest thing for me is this is the first official indication about the hookers role for the All Blacks come the 2015 RWC, and its clear to me that hore and kev wont be in the RWC equation.

this is great news to hear, it gives us a fair idea on how the All Blacks are planning to roll and i have no problem with the logic behind it.
personally i thought that hore might be able to play on til the next RWC, but not so much with kev. hores form in 2013 was the biggest contributor to that theory of mine though.

so now we have coles as the leading frontrunner, but who else is there, time for the geoff parson, motu matuu, rhys marshall, ged robinsons, liam coltman and even hika elliot to really step up their game, cos theres a guaranteed hookers spot up for grabs in the next year and half.

i also both love and am a little nervous about how hansen has thrown coles into the deep end with a sink or swim mofo message, lolz.
nothing like the Boks front row lead by bizzy to give u a real baptism by fire now that coles been anointed the All Blacks rake heir apparent.

good luck coles, cos ur going to need it, :o)

GO THE ALL BLACKS &  GO DANE COLES!!!

Is Coles really the best you guys have?

I'm used to the New Zealand rugby authorities putting thought into their rugby ... but some how this seems rather sudden ... no matter what the article implies.

It puzzles me. 

I get the same feeling about Nonu's possble replacement. As if no thought was put in.

I highly rate Ged Robinson ... far more so than any other hooker in New Zealand.

Why hasn't he been drawn into the mix? He should have been encouraged to play his rugga in New Zealand two season back.

Could go down in history as a great!!

Is New Zealand Rugby Authorities slipping a bit?

Yeah … it is true about McCaw. He’s not what he once was … that much is clearly evident to those who would see.

It’s like taking a bit of food and trying to preserve it well past its sale by date. You can push it a little but eventually, no matter the chemicals used, it will turn and spoil.

I hope he bows out gracefully. An incredible player. Can’t see him making the next world cup. To even contemplate it is absurd.

So many think they have another match in them and just end up embarrassing themselves.

doubting what McCaw can do is insane, and what he has done in 2013. the numbers will completely blow u away in regards to McCaws rate

then theres what he did to the Boks loose trio of vermeluen, alberts and louw in dunedin last year when he completely outworked their combined effort on attack, defence and in the tight stuff.
a clear cut case of a difference in opinon, but unlike the retention of smit in 2011 which irked the SA public something wicked, McCaw at the RWC is being met by the vast majority of kiwis as common sense.
IMO he will become the first captain to defend the RWC.

and mikey is correct, hore wont be playing for the highlanders, so hopefully theres an opening for ged robinson at the highlanders. liam colt man the highlanders No2 rake is good, but i like ged better.

@clean cut,
coles really is the best at the moment for the immediate future, and like u i was once a little iffy about that, but ive been very happy with how hansen has brought him along and kept kevvy and hore in the frame which is a wealth of hooking knowledge right there for coles to soak up as best he can

i see the situation with kev and hore as being something similar to what the Boks might face in a few years time, bizzy is 29 and strauss is 28 in nov.
these two are easily the best hookers in the country bar none, similar to what kev and hore have been for the All Blacks.
and with the current crop of SA hookers, theres no real standout replacment.
unlike the All Blacks, u guys still have an easy 5 years before u have to worry, as i doubt the performances of both bizzy and staruss will diminsih.

also ged wasnt eligble for the All Blacks as he didnt play for a NZ spXV team, u need to play in the spXV in order to be elgible for the june test series and the RC/4nats.

ged will be eligible for the EOYT though, but im worried he might not get the call up.
he hasnt been setting the world on fire for hawkes bak in the ITM, hes played most of the time from the bench with hawkes bay (the magpies) preferring ash dixon as the incumbent. i can recall ged starting once.
ash dixon is the hurricanes No3 hooker and on performance i can understand the call from the magpies coach, but they should really give ged more of a chance cos he is worth investing in, i wish the NZRU would step in and say something.