Coles only played 30 minutes at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium but he benefited from three powerful lineout drives and one loose ball to score four times.
It will be a game he will never forget but otherwise this was not one of the great All Black performances.
They were underwhelming for much of the first 60 minutes, kicking aimlessly, being beaten at the breakdown and showing very little spark.
When the Fijians, playing with a man in the bin, were awarded a penalty try with 20 minutes remaining, the All Blacks led just 31-23.
A historic upset, if still unlikely, was at least on the cards.
Belatedly, the All Blacks lifted – their fitness was always going to be superior, given Fiji’s limited preparation – and when Coles caught fire, the score blew out.
The hooker aside, few All Blacks really enhanced their reputations, though Sevu Reece had a couple of nice runs, Brodie Retallick slowly got back to full speed on his return to test rugby, and Aaron Smith was tidy in his captaincy debut.
They were exciting moments, too. There is still something about watching a big, strong athlete – legs pumping, head arched back – running with the ball in hand.
Captain and second five Levani Botia led the way with a couple of vigorous runs, while giant No 8 Albert Tuisue raised the roof when he crashed over for the Fijians’ only try.
The trouble was that the visitors, while fun and promising on attack, were too lax at key moments on defence.
That was highlighted when All Black second five David Havili strolled – waltzed, really – through for two soft tries.
Havili showed off a step and some fine strength but the efforts to tackle him were not particularly effective.
Jordie Barrett had scored the All Blacks’ opening try, benefiting from quick hands inside him after clean lineout ball was won.
Those moments aside, the All Blacks would look back on a first half that featured more penalties, breakdown turnovers and scratchy passes than they would like to see in a month.
The teams play again in Hamilton next Saturday, and the one wearing black will need to be much better.
All Blacks 57 (Dane Coles 4, David Havili 2, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Will Jordan tries; Beauden Barrett 6 con)
Fiji 23 (Albert Tuisue, Mesulame Kunavula tries, penalty try; Ben Volavola 2 pen)
Halftime: All Blacks 21-11.
Crowd: 15,103.
