The Reds hooker has been questioned all week about the curse of the gold No 2 jersey after Charles followed Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Siliva Siliva and Tolo Latu to the casualty ward, but in fact he appears to have ducked the jinx which hit Heath Tessmann instead.
Tessmann, Charles’ Force understudy, checked into the Wallabies hotel on Sunday night as stand-by hooker and checked out first thing Monday morning after being diagnosed with ankle syndesmosis.
So the Brumbies’ Josh Mann-Rea now has joined the party, making him, after Hanson and fellow Red Saia Fainga'a, the ninth hooker McKenzie has called upon this season. And to think Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer is lying awake at night trying to decide whether to start Bismarck du Plessis or Adriaan Strauss — two of the world’s best hookers — on Saturday.