ONE-HANDED WONDER
Rampaging Cokanasiga living up to Lomu hype
KEEPING a lid on the hype is going to be difficult if Joe Cokanasiga keeps playing like this, but Eddie Jones was determined to try. Comparisons with Jonah Lomu drew a swift, angry response from England’s head coach.
As the national team were putting hapless Italy to the sword on Saturday, Sportsmail columnist Sir Clive Woodward — in his role as a TV pundit — added his voice to the many others mentioning the giant Bath rookie in the same breath as the iconic former All Black wing. The riposte from Jones was emphatic, as he sought to divert a storm of attention gathering around the newcomer.
‘That’s ridiculous,’ he said. ‘The guy has played two Tests. Lomu almost won a World Cup for New Zealand and changed the way the game’s played.
‘So let’s get serious about it. We are not engaging in that sort of rubbish conversation.’
The ferocity of the response was an indication of how wary Jones is about any of his young players being prematurely acclaimed as potential world-beaters. But while it may be too soon to suggest that Cokanasiga can become a Fijiborn, England Lomu, the comparison has some qualified merit.
He weighs in excess of 18 stone, runs fast, can go over opponents or around them, creates space with one-handed carries and offloads, and scores tries.
His CV may be in the early development phase, but he is already generating feverish excitement. There were tries in his first two starts, in the autumn wins over Japan and Australia, and now a man- of-the-match show of force and dexterity in this humbling of the Azzurri.
Will Carling famously labelled Lomu a ‘freak’ after he had blasted England out of the 1995 World Cup and there were echoes of that remark at Twickenham on Saturday as Jamie George said of his new team-mate: ‘The bloke’s a freak, isn’t he? He was amazing. He’s a young talent who is only going to get better and that’s a scary thought.’
It’s scary for everyone else. It is a tantalising prospect for England. Jonny May had already offered high praise for his fellow wing and he was at it again after this mismatch, saying: ‘You don’t get many English wingers like him. Physically, he has size, strength and a good pair of hands on him as well. He’s got the world at his feet. We’re lucky to have him.’
The Twickenham crowd were enthralled by the sight of Cokanasiga running with the ball held in one hand, fending off defenders with the other, in true Fijian fashion. In the coaches’ box, Jones tried to suppress his unease. ‘Possibly he can carry the ball in two hands sometimes,’ he said. ‘As long as he does it well we don’t see any issue with it.’
It is an instinctive habit, as Cokanasiga explained, adding: ‘I have got to be careful with that because you could easily get a knock-on. It just comes naturally, I don’t really think about it. Before games, I get a good feel of the ball in just one
TO PLAY — Saturday: Italy v France (12.30pm), Wales v Ireland (2.45pm), England v Scotland (5pm). hand, and if the opportunity comes, then I’ll do it. I am not there to do it for entertainment. It just comes naturally.’
Entertainment may not be the objective, but it is a by-product of his flamboyant approach. He didn’t score any of England’s tries himself, but Cokanasiga ran the Italians ragged and created countless openings for those around him. He was not the only box-office attraction though. Manu Tuilagi was in vintage rampaging mode, scoring two tries, and Cokanasiga tried to give the centre his man-ofthe-match medal, saying: ‘I just thought he deserved it.’
The Leicester Tiger begged to differ, adding: ‘He did try, but not a chance. He was unbelievable. If we do our bit on the inside then Joe will get the space and that’s all he needs, a little bit of space.’
Amid all the deserved tributes to their thunderous Polynesian backs, England were also well served by a native in fine form. George Kruis is having a superb championship and the Saracens lock was influential again on Saturday, with a try and an ‘assist’ courtesy of two charge-downs.
Recent evidence proves that
there is more to his repertoire than calling lineouts and hitting rucks, and Jones made a point of singling him out, saying: ‘I thought Kruis was absolutely outstanding. If I was one of those smart blokes in the television box I would have picked him as man of the match. He does all the small things well and they are the things that win you Test matches.’
England won this one by a street, scoring eight tries in the process. They were impressive in most aspects, aside from a few moments when composure was lost in their haste to seize every scoring chance. Italy kept going, but they cannot compete at this level. It has been that way for a while now and their status is at risk, at a time when relegation is being considered.
Jones may lament the rising hype about Cokanasiga, but he will relish the wing’s emergence in a new wave of talent which will add substance to the English challenge at this year’s World Cup. They may not win this Six Nations title, if Wales seal a Slam, but Conor O’Shea, Italy’s head coach, argued that they are — nonetheless — the best team in the tournament. He has a point there.