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'You're the ugliest guy in the world': Dane Coles lifts the lid on skirmishes with Michael Hooper and Kyle Sinckler
A month after being named New Zealand’s grubbiest player, All Blacks and Hurricanes hooker Dane Coles has opened up about some of the most notable on-field altercations he’s had with players from around the world.
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44 percent of Super Rugby players nationwide voted Coles as the “biggest grub” in the country as part of an anonymous poll conducted by NZME radio producer Sam Casey earlier this year.
The 33-year-old veteran topped the poll by a considerable margin, with All Blacks teammate Brodie Retallick registering in second-place with just 15 percent of the vote, while Jordie Barrett was voted the third-biggest grub at 10 percent.
Coles took to the What a Lad podcast, hosted by fellow Hurricanes teammate James Marshall, last week to respond to his crowning as New Zealand’s biggest grub, where he outlined that he doesn’t intend on changing his style of play.
“It probably just comes out as passion and just trying to do everything I can to win. Sometimes it comes out a verbal spray, and I’ve copped it. I’ve been sin binned for the way I play, with my heart on my sleeve, and I probably play on the edge,” Coles said.
“Things don’t always go to plan and I’ve got to live with that, but that’s just who I am and it’s got me this far, so I’m just going to keep doing it.”
His reputation as someone who doesn’t shy away from confrontation hasn’t come without a plethora of stories about on-field altercations he’s had with opposition players.
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As an example of that, Coles spoke early on in the podcast about how he targeted long-time friend and former Hurricanes teammate Beauden Barrett in his debut match for the Blues in the opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
That led to further discussions about players Coles has come up against in the international arena while playing for the All Blacks.
He noted an incident with Wallabies captain Michael Hooper during a Bledisloe Cup match in 2016 as one of the more memorable experiences he has had.
Dane Coles isn't planning on changing the way he plays rugby despite being voted the "biggest grub" in a New Zealand player poll.https://t.co/p1FZSTvKbN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 24, 2020
“Absolutely nothing but respect to Michael Hooper, champion player, one of the hardest players I’ve ever tackled and played against,” Coles said.
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“But, I think it might have been ‘16 or ‘17 at Eden Park, the game was pretty tight, he speared me in a tackle, and I think I got the ball over to Jules [Julian Savea] and I think Jules ended up scoring.
“I just got up, and he’s kind of standing over me, [so] I got up as fast as I could, ran past and was like, ‘Yeah, yeah’, in his face and saying a few things, can’t really repeat them, and he’s kind of going back, and then I think Guzzler [Brodie Retallick] comes over and he’s spraying him as well.”
HOW GOOD IS THIS?!WATCH: Jeff Wilson takes a look back at one of his favourite moments of the year – some instant karma for Qantas Wallabies' Michael Hooper after a run-in with All Blacks hooker Dane Coles | #TheBreakdown
Posted by Sky Sport NZ on Thursday, 1 December 2016
Hooper isn’t the only Australian who has been subjected to a spray from Coles.
The 69-test hooker revealed that he was once involved in an in-game dispute with former Wallabies assistant coach Nathan Grey after landing what he claimed was an unintentional “cheap shot” on an Australian player.
“He was into me,” Coles said of Grey, who was stationed on the sideline as a water boy for the Wallabies during a test in Wellington.
“For the whole night he was going like, ‘You bloody cheap s***’, and I’m like, ‘You’re the bloody defence coach’.
“So I’ve gone back at him, we’ve scored, and I’m like ‘Good to see your defence is bloody working’, so I’ve had it all – players, coaches, managers.”
Coles also spoke about a verbal exchange he was involved with between Retallick and England prop Kyle Sinckler during a test match at Twickenham in 2018.
Describing the 2017 British and Irish Lions tourist as “good value” for his on-field chat, Coles said that he didn’t hold back from giving Sinckler banter after the young front-rower told Retallick he was “the ugliest guy in the world”.
“He was into it when we were over there at Twickenham. He was giving it, but to Guzzler. He was like, ‘You’re the ugliest guy in the world,'” Coles said.
“I was like, ‘Shut up’, and then he dropped the ball five metres out and me and Guzzler were like, ‘Yeah, you useless bastard’.
“But then he got subbed, and he was like, ‘Yeah, good work mate’, and I was like, ‘Yeah, bloody good talk out there bro’, and that was it.”
While renowned for his barbs in the heat of the battle, Coles maintained that his jibes weren’t to be taken personally, adding that he has no intention of changing the way he plays the game and conducts himself on the field.
“Like I said, it’s nothing personal. I’ve had to reap the repercussions of taking it too far and copped the abuse,” he said.
“That’s just the way I play on the edge and that’s just how I’ve played my career and I’m not probably going to change that now because I’ve only probably got a couple left.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments