Cokanasiga magic on injury return
Bath Rugby and England winger Joe Cokanasiga made a fairytale return to the field last Tuesday after a 12-month injury lay-off, in that 31-20 bonus point win against Gloucester.
The 22-year-old played a starring role as a late replacement in Bath’s emphatic late comeback in the West country derby as he helped transform the club’s fortunes in a key game in the race for the playoffs.
The 2019 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee had one moment to show his ‘X-factor’ impact and took it with aplomb, with no signs of rustiness despite the Fijian-born England star admitting after the match that his lungs were burning.
With two minutes on the clock Bath had wrestled back the lead from an unthinkable position, 17 points behind at the hour mark to their derby rivals, but without the bonus point fourth try the victory would have been hollow with the race for the play-offs tighter than ever.
With time ticking away full-back Anthony Watson made an explosive surge down-field from a Gloucester clearance to give Bath much needed territory. A switch in the direction of the attack from right to left gave the hosts an overlap on the short side with replacement lock Josh Mcnally getting the ball into Cokanasiga’s hands with a great offload from the floor.
The England man, with no strapping on the knee which has kept him sidelined for a year, had Gloucester fly-half Lloyd Evans to beat coming across as cover. A feint and a shimmy inside then a devastating step back out off the right peg, left Evans helpless as Cokanasiga brushed off another attempted Gloucester tackle from England hooker prospect Jack Walker. He then drew the last man, Joe Simpson, to put Ben Spencer into space to be able to race for the corner.
The score sent the few privileged Bath players and club staff inside The Rec into an explosion of exalted noise.
What a way to announce your comeback.
“I was a bit nervous going out there.” Cokanasiga confided after the match: “I had a lot of time to practice trying to control my emotions when the time matters and just stay calm and make an impact.”
“Ewelsy [club captain Charlie Ewels] said to me before the game, ‘Work hard and the X-factor moments will come, you just have to work hard first,’ and I kept that in my mind and that helped me a lot. For us, the main thing is that we work hard as a team and the moments for us will eventually come.
“I didn’t want to let the emotion take over me. It was a bit emotional running out thinking of the journey I have been on with the team and my family.”
It has been a long journey back to fitness for Cokanasiga, whose last appearance on the field was in England’s Rugby World Cup pool game against the United States 361 days ago, bagging a brace of tries.
However, his last outing in the Blue, Black and White was considerably longer ago, running out in the final game of the 2018/19 season against Leicester Tigers on May 18, 2019 when he also crossed the whitewash in a key victory which earned Heineken Champions Cup rugby for the following season. However the less said about the 2019/20 European campaign without Cokanasiga the better, with Bath eliminated without a win in the pool stages.
The Bath flyer missed the European campaign and the first 20 rounds of the Premiership with an initial knee injury before back troubles furthered his problems. A knee operation in January put Cokanasiga on the road to recovery and after months of rehabilitation he made his return in the 54th minute on Tuesday, replacing Semesa Rokoduguni as Bath were trailing 3-13.
The 6ft 3in winger made an instant impression as he chased down the rampaging Jake Polledri to perform a great try saving tackle. Unfortunately, his effort was in vain as former Bath back Matt Banahan crossed for his 48th try at The Rec as Gloucester crossed the whitewash the following phase.
As had been the case for Rokoduguni and Ruaridh Mcconnochie, Cokanasiga was starved of the ball on the wing in slippery conditions for most of his cameo. However, during Bath’s resurgence the 18 and a half stone giant lent his size to the forwards’ effort as they attempted to drive their way over the line from close range which resulted in a Lewis Boyce try to take the lead for the first time in the contest..
Then, in the 78th minute, came the moment which will live long in the memory of Bath fans should the Blue, Black and White reach their first grand final in five years.
Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper was quick to celebrate the return of his star man. He said: “He is a quality player isn’t he? To be able to conjure something up in the amount of space he had, after the amount of time he has had out.
“The great thing with Joe is he is obviously box office, that step is going to be shown over and over on all the screens and I am sure all you guys [journalists] will write about it.
“But the real thing that defines him is the unseen work. For the last 12 months he has worked so hard to get himself in a position to get back out there. He has been itching to go but we have had to get him right so he could go out there and play like that.
“That work he puts in away from the spotlight defines him.
Cokanasiga also reflected on the harsh realities of a long-term injury and those who helped and supported him on his way back to the pitch. He said: “It has been a long journey.
“There were dark times when I thought I wouldn’t make this season so credit to the medical team and my family. My girlfriend is like my part time psychologist at times and kept me sane. Lockdown was a blessing towards me and gave me time.
After all the months on the sidelines, Cokanasiga had time to prepare himself while his knee healed, claiming: “I feel physically the best I’ve felt. It was a fresh start and I feel like a completely different player now mentally and physically.”
England boss Eddie Jones was in attendance of Tuesday night’s game, as was British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland ahead of this summer’s tour to South Africa, but the Bath man aims on taking his comeback one step at a time.
“My focus was on getting back to Bath and doing the best I can for them and hopefully get that finals spot,” the nine cap England international said.
“That’s my aim at the moment and obviously if England comes I’ve always had that thing with England so I won’t let it slip out the back of my mind.”
With Bath now third in the Premiership tables, after wins for Wasps and Sale on Tuesday, victory at Saracens on Sunday will guarantee Cokanasiga and co at least one more game this season in the playoffs.
Gallagher Premiership
RESULTS, Monday: Harlequins 23 Wasps 32.
Tuesday: Northampton Saints 14 Sale Sharks 34.
P W D L F A
Exeter Chiefs .......................... 20 15 0 5 606 375 Wasps .................................... 21 13 0 8 616 492
Bath Rugby ......................... 21 14 0 7 503 440
Sale Sharks ............................ 21 13 0 8 546 355 Bristol Bears ........................... 20 12 1 7 485 447 Harlequins .............................. 20 9 1 10 462 502 Northampton Saints ............... 20 8 0 12 424 493 Gloucester Rugby ................... 21 7 0 14 495 513 Worcester Warriors .................. 20 6 0 14 338 551 London Irish ........................... 20 5 1 14 357 578 Leicester Tigers ....................... 20 6 1 13 345 537 Saracens ................................ 20 13 0 7 539 404 *Saracens deducted 105 points and relegated
FIXTURES, last night: Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers, Exeter Chiefs v London Irish, Worcester Warriors v Saracens.
Sunday: Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints, Leicester Tigers v Harlequins, London Irish v Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks v Worcester Warriors, Saracens v Bath Rugby, Wasps v Exeter Chiefs.
B 13 14 9 12 9 8 10 13 8 8 2 12
Pts 73 65 65 64 59 46 42 41 32 30 28 -41*