'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.
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.
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.
“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.”
https://www.facebook.com/skysportnz/videos/1179924178743912/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEQafIxlh3y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments