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Coles has been saying some pretty nice things about Stephen Moore

New Zealand hooker Dane Coles battles with opposite number Stephen Moore

Dane Coles said Stephen Moore will go down as “one of the greats” ahead of the former Australia captain’s final Test against New Zealand in his hometown on Saturday.

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Moore is set to win his 125th and final cap off the bench in the Bledisloe Cup clash at Suncorp Stadium this weekend, 12 years after making his debut.

Coles is relishing packing down with Moore in his international swansong in Brisbane and the All Blacks front-rower has spoken of his respect for the former Wallabies captain

“He has been pretty relentless,” said hooker Coles. “He will go down as one of the greats for Aussie and world rugby; it has been awesome to play against that guy. He has got a never-give-up attitude,

“I am a bit younger, so I have always looked up to a guy like that. That will give the Aussies plenty of motivation.

“They will want to send Stephen Moore out the best way they can.”

Coles expects plenty of verbals when the Trans-Tasman rivals scrum down in the third and final Bledisloe encounter of the year.

“I think most of the hookers are chatty in world rugby – yeah, we have had a few chats,” Coles said when asked about sledging.

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“It is a healthy relationship out there. I am probably not shy about saying something and I think he is probably the same way. I couldn’t repeat some of the stuff we are saying to each other.”

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SK 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

If you are building the same amount of rucks but kicking more is that a bad thing? Kicks are more constestable than ever, fans want to see a contest, is that a bad thing? kicks create broken field situations where counter attacks from be launched from or from which turnover ball can be exploited, attacks are more direct and swift rather than multiphase in nature, is that a bad thing? What is clear now is that a hybrid approach is needed to win matches. You can still build phases but you need to play in the right areas so you have to kick well. You also have to be prepared to play from turnover ball and transition quickly from the kick contest to attack or set your defence quickly if the aerial contest is lost. Rugby seems healthy to me. The rules at ruck time means the team in possession is favoured and its more possible than ever to play a multiphase game. At the same time kicking, set piece, kick chase and receipt seems to be more important than ever. Teams can win in so many ways with so many strategies. If anything rugby resembles footballs 4-4-2 era. Now football is all about 1 striker formations with gegenpress and transition play vs possession heavy teams, fewer shots, less direct play and crossing. Its boring and it plods along with moves starting from deep, passing goalkeepers and centre backs and less wing play. If we keep tinkering with the laws rugby will become a game with more defined styles and less variety, less ways to win effectively and less varied body types and skill sets.

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