Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer and All Blacks boss Steve Hansen after last year's test at Ellis Park. The pair had dinner in Johannesburg this week.

Steve Hansen had a dinner date in Johannesburg this week.

Hansen, as has been his habit in recent times, met with Springboks counterpart Heyneke Meyer - or "H" as he likes to call him - to have a quiet graze and discuss life inside and outside the rugby bubble.

In a bygone era the concept of dining with an opposition coach before a test at Ellis Park would have untenable. Not under Hansen.

He says that is what sport is about; enjoying your mate's company, trying to out-wit him for 80 minutes and then shaking his mitt, grabbing a club sandwich and uncapping a beer with him afterwards.

Which brings us to the debate about which coach should be avoided if there's a dispute about who picks up the restaurant tab.

TV footage of Meyer's mad excitement in the coach's box suggests he could blow-up if he feels he is being ripped-off. Hansen, too, can be a strong-willed chap. Don't expect him to roll over if a freeloader tanks-up on expensive wine and then tries to slip out the back door.

Former Blues coach Sir John Kirwan's halftime explosions have earned him a reputation and Black Ferns coach Greg Smith could be a bit excitable, given recent reports about him erupting at a club match in the Waikato. You could rattle out a long list of Frenchies, but let's not bother.

Our vote goes to the Wallabies' fiery Michael Cheika. Few can kick-off like the volatile Sydneysider. When he goes off, it's TNT time.

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Meyer has had a funny old week.

During a press conference to reveal Schalk Burger as his new captain the power went out. The next day, when he was discussing the selections of his side in the garden of his team's hotel, an advertising screen toppled over in the wind and fell on his head. He copped it sweet and uttered something along the lines of "I hope someone's not trying to tell me something".

Well, it wasn't Heinrich Brussow. At last, after almost four years of being ignored by Meyer, he has been selected to start against the All Blacks. And he has a perfect record; four wins from four outings against the boys in black.

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Talking of hotels, the Springboks' digs at the Montecasino "leisure and entertainment centre" in Jo'burg were a beaut. Montecasino, which covers 26 hectares and is designed to replicate an ancient Italian village, is where those with a disposable income come to gamble, eat well and stare at the expensive European cars in front of the expensive hotels.

The Boks' hotel, which looked had been transported straight out of a Tuscan setting, was surrounded by manicured hedges, lawns and a pool with massive carp swimming inside it. As their forwards practiced their lineout moves, pink flamingos strutted around in the background and water fountains tinkled quietly.

Gone are the days when touring teams would find a quiet section of the car park, sweep aside the cigarette butts and wolf whistle at the paint job of a fancy Holden HQ haphazardly parked in front of the local lounge bar.

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Dane Coles rolls casually and we like it. With his patchy stubble and close-cropped haircut you could imagine him swapping jokes with the boys at the local trucking firm or on a building site. No cliches with the good-natured Coles, who tells it as he sees it and with a smile on his mug.

He also gave South African media plenty to hoot about when he mistakenly called Eben Etzebeth "Elizabeth".

Rather than get all precious, Coles could laugh at himself. No blushes or staring silently at the ceiling with this joker.

And then he tried to throw his good mate James Broadhurst under the bus. He intimated that if Etzebeth takes offence by his error he can take his frustrations out on the test debutant Broadhurst.