Cokanasiga set to commit his future
Joe Cokanasiga is set to sign a new contract at Bath Rugby according to the latest reports.
Giant England international winger Cokanasiga has been courted by his former club London Irish according to The Rugby Paper, and was close to agreeing a return to the Exiles with his three-year contract at The Rec set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 season. The publication reports Cokanasiga was set to have a medical at London Irish’s Hazelwood training ground back in January ahead of a potential move but Covid complications postponed the appointment allowing Bath to come back in and complete negotiations.
Cokanasiga, 23, has earned nine caps for England since moving to Bath, having a huge season in 2018/19 which saw him shortlisted for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
However the season ended in a catastrophic injury as England prepared for the Rugby World Cup in Japan. He injured his knee which required surgery and nearly a year of rehabilitation before he returned to the pitch for Bath in November against Newcastle.
Since getting back on the field in the Blue, Black and White, playing seven games so far this season, Cokanasiga has shown glimpses of his former world-beating form but also understandable signs of rustiness, leading to Bath opting to withdraw him from action for a month in February to work on his game.
Explaining the decision, Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper said: “I think what we saw with Joe is we needed to do more with him to get him to the point where he is out there flowing and playing the game we know he can play.
“When you look at him he is a massive, physically imposing player and has got a skill set that sets him apart from pretty much any other winger in the world and sometimes that masks the fact he is a young man, he hasn’t played a huge amount of rugby and he had a year out of the game. My view on Joe is he has been in and out and he has had bits of work but we need to do more to allow him to be his best.
“He had a complete year out of the game and before that he was away at the World Cup where he got very little game time so over the last 18 months he has had so little opportunity to play the game he has been missing that game sense and awareness which you get from playing games of rugby.
“We are managing it the best we can to give him the chance to be the very best Joe Cokanasiga - rather than just on the field.”
Cokanasiga returned to the pitch off the bench in the 16-38 defeat to Exeter Chiefs in Round 12 of the Gallagher Premiership with a strong defensive display and started in the 38-19 victory away at Newcastle Falcons last weekend.
Hooper continued: “He is an outstanding rugby player and more than that he is an outstanding young man and our service and commitment to him is we give everything to him to allow him to be back on the field with a smile on his face, flowing the way we have seen him flow before.”