Rugby World Cup 2015: Men in middle hold clues to where game will go

Dane Coles. Photo / Getty Images

When you look for the margins between the All Blacks and Springboks to try to justify thoughts about a likely winner, many scenarios tease your judgment. Will Daniel Carter's superior goal-kicking carry the test tomorrow at Twickenham or will the young legs of Handre Pollard spark his men towards a victory for the Boks?

Does all that loose-forward talent cancel out the other? Will the forecast rain offer hope for the slower battles the Boks front five fancy? Is there a Bryan Habana intercept or a Nehe Milner-Skudder moment of magic? So much to ponder in building up a picture of an imagined outcome - one which can be shaken by a refereeing decision, injury or a piece of fortune.

We'll know inside the next 12 hours and shift to the next stage of evaluating what we've seen. Until then we ponder.

The differences might best be summed up by a comparison between Dane Coles and Bismarck du Plessis, two men in the middle of the front rows and plenty of feisty action.

Though both protest they have cleaned up their acts, their tempers seem to operate at a lower flashpoint than their teammates'. If one loses the plot, time in the cooler or worse is usually costly.

Du Plessis was unfairly sent off for twin yellows by tomorrow's assistant referee Romaine Poite in the 2013 Eden Park battle with the Boks, while Coles was binned for lashing out with his boot against England last year.

The Bok hooker is an immensely powerful man whose work over the ball at the rucks and abrasive mauling has been one of the Springboks weapons when they get their crunchy game going.

Coles has made significant progress since his All Black introduction and in the past two years has confirmed his position as the side's premier hooker. His lineout throwing and scrum work have solidified while his explosive carries near the tramlines or support play through the middle of the park have tagged Coles as someone near the top of the world rankings. He can mix it in the heavy contact and still have enough gas to make a significant impact around the field.

Sometimes du Plessis finds himself in the wider channels where his instincts are more about taking contact than avoiding it. When he decides otherwise he often rolls or basketballs out one-handed passes to teammates with varying success.

It's the old losing ground in the skills battle against the new and maybe a pointer about tomorrow's result.