All Blacks duo bundled out of race to be crowned world's best hooker

All Blacks duo Codie Taylor and Dane Coles have been dumped out of the race to be named the world’s best hooker in an online poll.

Punters worldwide have hit the polls on RugbyPass’ Facebook and Instagram accounts as part of the Straight 8 Fan Vote initiative to decide the world’s best players in each position, as voted by the fans.

The first five instalments of the campaign have already passed, with South Africa dominating proceedings through the likes of flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, No. 8 Duane Vermeulen and wing Cheslin Kolbe.

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That trio could be joined by Springboks teammate Malcolm Marx, who remains in the hunt for the hooker crown after fighting off the challenge of veteran All Blacks rake Coles.

Earlier in the knockout bracket, Marx had seen off Argentine star Julian Montoya in convincing fashion and continued to prove to be a dominant force among the public after accruing 61 percent of the vote.

It means the 25-year-old NTT Communications Shining Arcs recruit will progress to the final round of voting, where he will come up against England and Saracens hooker Jamie George.

The 2017 British and Irish Lions tourist easily outshone France youngster Julian Marchand in the preliminary round of polling, and backed up that victory with a second successive win over All Blacks incumbent Taylor.

The three-time Super Rugby winner and 2015 World Cup champion has long been the preferred option for New Zealand, but he couldn’t lure in enough votes to dispatch George, who won with 56 percent of the vote.

The third and final round of voting is yet to open, but the winner will be inducted into the RugbyPass Straight 8 Fan Vote World XV alongside the winners and some runners-up in every other position that has already been voted for.

To have your say, click the stories on either the RugbyPass Facebook page (here) or the RugbyPass Instagram page (here).