Time heals all wounds, but when it comes to the scar Beauden Barrett left on Dane Coles with his Hurricanes exit, two years appears to be not long enough.
Cole was asked how it was to have Barrett back in the All Blacks environment after he missed this year's Super Rugby competition with his Japan sabbatical.
Of note though, that absence meant he wasn't playing for the Blues instead of the Hurricanes after his departure from the club in 2019 - a move long-time Hurricane Coles jokingly is still holding on to.
"Stuff [Beauden] mate," Coles said with a grin.
"I'm still dark."
Jokes aside, Coles said it was good to have Barrett back, adding in his own blunt way that the Japan stint was good for him.
"It would've been good for him to get over there and earn a bit of cash," Coles said.
"But it's always good to catch up with an old mate who you played a lot of rugby with."
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