Canes facing unwanted hooking dilemma

BY TOBY ROBSON

Last updated 07:03 25/02/2009

PHIL REID/The Dominion Post

MINOR OFFENCE: Hurricanes hooker Dane Coles was arrested for disorderly conduct following a night-time incident in Wellington.

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Hooker has become a focal point of the Hurricanes this week for all the wrong reasons ahead of Friday's Super 14 match against the Crusaders.

Dane Coles' weekend arrest for disorderly behaviour has left the coaching staff with a difficult decision over whether to suspend him for a breach of team protocol or leave the matter to the courts.

If the 22-year-old is ruled out, inexperienced Marist rake Ged Robinson is the prime candidate to take the No 2 jersey, with prop Jacob Ellison thrust into the backup hooker's role.

The team's first-choice hooker, All Black Andrew Hore, is tantalisingly close to a return from his foot injury, but has not played since November.

Hore said yesterday he wouldn't be comfortable playing a key role against the Crusaders and was eyeing the Cheetahs match in New Plymouth the following week.

There is also the fact that he cannot be in the same playing 22 as Robinson, who was called in from the wider training group as his replacement.

Coles' arrest, at 9pm on Saturday, was neither late nor on game night, but the police description of his "heavily intoxicated" state will not sit well with the franchise.

Last week the Highlanders moved quickly to suspend wing Fetu'u Vainikolo after an alcohol-related late- night incident in Dunedin.

It is hard to see Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper not upholding the same high standards when he names his team today. That would propel Robinson, who played for Wellington and Manawatu in the Air New Zealand Cup, into an unlikely starting debut.

The 25-year-old has played just 22 minutes of Super 14 rugby, after replacing Coles in the 58th minute against the Highlanders.

There was little coming out of the Hurricanes camp yesterday, with a "no comment" on Coles from assistant coach Jonathan Phillips and a "wait and see" stance on other selections. However, it appears the first-string backline will finally take the field.

With All Blacks coach Graham Henry watching, Alby Mathewson ran at halfback yesterday with Piri Weepu at first-five inside the All Blacks midfield of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, while Zac Guildford was on the right wing in place of David Smith.

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The Crusaders also have problems at hooker with Corey Flynn out for the season with a broken arm. Otago draft player Jason Macdonald is set to start against the Hurricanes and Daniel Perrin promoted from the wider training group to the reserves.

Fullback Leon MacDonald has been ruled out with a sore shoulder, while lock Brad Thorn is in doubt with a heel injury.

On a brighter note for the Hurricanes front row, Hore completed his first full run with the team on Monday and is champing at the bit to return to the fray.

"I won't really know [till later in the week]," Hore said when asked if he was even a remote option to play against the Crusaders. "Probably if I had to, I would, but I just wouldn't be very good. I want to go out there and still play like I was last year - play like an All Black would be good."

Hore said his enforced break had not been all bad, but was beginning to wear thin after months of training and trips south to see All Blacks physio Peter Gallagher.

"I'm not very good [at watching]. I've had my first run around with the team yesterday, so in some ways I'm getting pretty keen," he said. "It's freshened the mind up, but I'm not as fit as I'd like to be this time of the year. I just have to make sure I get through training and keep taking a bigger part and then get the contact.

"Hopefully, after a while you stop thinking about the foot. I think once you get into a game, instincts will take over and you are away."

- © Fairfax NZ News