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Hooker Dane Coles has suffered a serious knee injury in the All Blacks‘ 38-18 win over France, rupturing his ACL. This means that his already injury-disrupted season has ended, and will effect the start of 2018 with his Super Rugby team the Hurricanes.
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Coles went down 24 minutes into the test match, after playing a starring role by scoring the first try. Early reports suggest he will require six months to recover from reconstructive surgery.
“He is going to require an operation,” said All Black coach Hansen. “It will get sorted once he gets home.”
It’s a bitter way to end 2017 for Coles, who sat out most of Super Rugby and the entire British & Irish Lions series recovering from the effects of concussion. At one point he was contemplating retirement, however made his way back into the All Blacks for their undefeated Rugby Championship campaign.
Coles will head home after the team’s midweek tour match against a French XV tomorrow, and will not be replaced. Hansen selected four hookers to tour with the squad, so can call on Codie Taylor, Nathan Harris or the exciting prospect Asafo Aumua.
The news will also mean that Aumua will now most definitely be a part of the Hurricanes’ match-day 23 when Super Rugby rolls around, along with the impressive Ricky Riccitelli.
