Codie Taylor on standby as uncertainty around All Blacks hooker Dane Coles continues

Plonking Codie Taylor's name into a conversation is inevitable when discussing the health status of Dane Coles.

Here's the latest oil on the Coles situation. The All Blacks hooker, removed from Super Rugby since being dogged by concussion and a calf injury in late March, has been rated a "doubtful starter" for the Hurricanes' match against the Chiefs on June 9, diminishing the time available to prove his fitness prior to the first test against the British and Irish Lions two weeks later.

Even with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen emphasising that Coles will be included in the 33-man squad named on Thursday, the chances of the world's best hooker being fit enough to start the opening Test grow more remote as each day passes.

That's why Taylor's name is embedded in so much of the dialogue about hookers. Because he will surely start in the No 2 jersey against the Lions in Auckland if Coles is unavailable.