Game day in the Coles household on the Kapiti Coast is a quiet affair. No nerves, no worries – just a cup of tea and some snacks.
Then again, you get that after watching your boy play 80 Test matches.
And Dane Coles’ parents have the collection to prove it with photos of the hooker all over the walls and an entire clothes rack of his All Blacks playing jerseys hung up.
“He didn't swap his jersey for the first 30 Test matches,” dad Steve said.
“He said he’s worked hard for it, why give it away?”
The Coles family head down to Wellington City Saturday afternoon for the series-deciding Test against Ireland in the capital – Coles’ first appearance in the series – in a journey they've hundreds of times.
“It'll be special, it’s special every time you pull on that black jersey for me,” Coles told 1News earlier this week.
As ever though, he has typically direct thoughts heading into the match.
“If we can play with 15 players on the paddock that would help us,” he said.
Speaking of pressure, the players have felt a ton of it this week with Coles saying some have deleted their social media apps on their phones to reduce the outside noise.
“You learn to develop thick skin, you do cop it but that's all part of being an All Black.”
That thick skin could come down at full time for Coles though with Saturday’s Test likely the final time the Coles clan gather for a hometown Test, with the women’s Football World Cup ruling out venues from June to August next year.
He doesn’t want the match to be his swansong though.
“Ultimate goal is next year,” he said.
“If I don't get there, I've given it every shot, I can retire, whatever, move up back to Kapiti and set off into the sunset.”
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