Cokanasiga has 'hunger' to play for England again
Bath winger Joe Cokanasiga said he does not feel his England career is over and he has felt more "hunger" this season to play internationally again.The 27-year-old has been capped 16 times by England but has not played since August 2023 and was overlooked for the World Cup squad that autumn.Cokanasiga is Bath's joint-leading try-scorer this season, with 10 in all competitions."This year especially I felt more of a hunger to play for England again because I'd been out for so long. If it happens, it happens," Cokanasiga said."It's something that's still in my head, I spoke to Steve [Borthwick, England head coach] the other day and I have to play well for my club first, that's my priority. "But I feel like if I do that then I'll get the best outcome. I don't feel that my England career is over yet."
Cokanasiga, who was born in Fiji, represented England at under-18 and under-20 level before being called up to the senior squad by Eddie Jones in 2017.He made his Test debut in November 2018 aged 19, scoring a try in the win against Japan and another against Australia a week later.In total he has 13 tries across his 16 games but says he is a much more "consistent" player now than he was when he earned his last cap."The main [area of improvement] was the high ball because that was a big thing that didn't get me into the World Cup, I felt like," Cokanasiga said. "That was for me a blessing in disguise, because I came back and worked on that massively and just keep going back over my hand-eye. "Now I feel like I've improved massively on it and it's a part of the game I look forward to."
Cokanasiga will start on the wing against French Top 14 side Lyon on Friday night (20:00 BST) as Premiership leaders Bath look to clinch their second trophy of the season in the European Challenge Cup final, having also been part of the squad that won the Premiership Rugby Cup in February.He scored a scintillating try last weekend as they thrashed Leicester 43-15 in the league, running from deep in his own half after Max Ojomoh's interception.Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said Cokanasiga has become a "more rounded player" during his tenure at the club."He's by far the biggest winger that I've coached but Joe's got this amazing ability to finish tries, he's got this hunger to get better," he said."We've ID'd certain bits of his game he needs to get better and he's become a much more all-round player."Cokanasiga agreed his consistency across the pitch has come with the more experienced he has become."As I've gotten older my priorities have changed of how I need to perform in the game," he said."Then we've got people like [Bath attack coach] Lee Blackett that has a different view of the game than I do and that's helped me improve massively."Johann's someone I can go and speak to about anything and let everything out, he can be honest with me, I can be honest with him, same with Lee and JP [Ferreira, defence coach]. "They give you a lot of confidence and that's massive in players."
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