Speak to most members of the England squad about their best memory of World Cups gone by and the answer is often the same – it is either Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal or the fact that they were too young to remember it. As with so much else, Joe Cokanasiga stands out from the crowd.
Four years ago, on the night of the first match of the 2015 World Cup between England and Fiji, Cokanasiga was part of the pre-match entertainment outside Twickenham. The then 17-year-old was performing a traditional war dance outside the gates on behalf of the Fijian embassy, dreaming of one day appearing at the World Cup but considering it “impossible”. Four years on and there is every chance Cokanasiga will be the breakout star of the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
“I was actually at Fiji v England on the opening night and we were showcasing our country before the game started,” Cokanasiga said. “I remember the vibe that night, and the whole vibe around the World Cup and thinking that I wanted to do all this one day. But it didn’t feel possible. I am now and that feels a bit weird.”
Such is the hype that surrounds Cokanasiga it is easy to forget he has made only six Test appearances. Eddie Jones has done all he can to temper expectations, even leaving him out of the squad altogether against Scotland having burst on to the Six Nations stage a week earlier with a stunning performance against Italy, but the head coach does admit that Cokanasiga can be “absolutely devastating” even if he has been able to show it only in glimpses so far in the warm-up series.
He scored his third Test try against Wales at Twickenham two weeks ago but last Saturday in Cardiff was a source of frustration for Cokanasiga. It was a turgid contest with space at a premium and Cokanasiga spent most of the afternoon being targeted by Dan Biggar’s boot. Against Ireland on Saturday, however, Cokanasiga is hopeful of more opportunities to showcase his strengths, as part of what Ben Youngs believes is England’s most threatening back line.
“I feel like I have a lot more in me,” Cokanasiga said. “That has been the most frustrating thing for me – that I have more to show. Getting my hands on the ball more, for example, and that comes from my work-rate and how hungry I am.”
Jones, for his part, feels Cokanasiga’s frustrations are inevitable. Never shy of a cricketing analogy, Jones compares Cokanasiga to a batsman whose weakness has been identified and repeatedly targeted thereafter. “He’s going through that tough period at the moment,” he said. “[Wales] picked on him at the weekend and he has got to find a way to get in the game. This is a great opportunity on Saturday to show that he can, because the potential of the kid is enormous. When he has got the ball in his hands and when he gets his high-ball catching right, he is absolutely devastating. These are the games he needs to learn how to fight his way through Test rugby.
“He is one of those kids who comes into Test rugby and first couple of games, he is magic. Someone has blown some dust on him. That is the big difference between Test and domestic rugby. When people see a weakness, they go at you and keep going at you. Then the development of the player is, right, how do I fix this? And how do I get around it? Joe is going through that process at the moment. So it’s good for him.”
England’s attack coach, Scott Wisemantel, has already played a key role in Cokanasiga’s development. The Australian is often seen conducting one-on-one training sessions with the 21-year-old and is only too aware his work is far from done. “He is a massive threat,” Wisemantel said. “You look at him physically and he is imposing. We have to remember he is only six Tests in so it is a small window and we have to keep developing Joe. Most other coaches know who he is so that is what you are dealing with. Like any player, any team, the other coaches do their homework, so they will know who he is.”
Wisemantel was also no doubt responsible for deploying Cokanasiga at the back of the England scrum against Italy. For he is a constant source of left-field suggestions, the latest of which is a 13-man lineout which may or may not be unveiled against Ireland. “I come up with some insane ideas,” Wisemantel said. “I think you do have to throw the ideas up there, have a look and, between the coaches and some of the senior players, refine it and work on it. We work out on the pitch whether it’s got merit or not and then make a quick decision. You can’t dwell on things.”