Latest news with #JoeCokanasiga
Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
‘England axe was blessing' — how Joe Cokanasiga got ready for recall
The Principality Stadium has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Joe Cokanasiga. The Bath wing has played in Cardiff twice for England. He finished on the losing side both times, most recently in a warm-up match that sealed his exclusion from England's 2023 World Cup squad. Now he is being dragged back there for the second time in a fortnight for the European Challenge Cup final against Lyon on Friday. 'I've had a lot of history there,' Cokanasiga says. 'I've been there with England and last time I was there [with the national team] I didn't have a good experience.' He had a happier experience there two weeks ago when, although an understrength Bath were beaten by Bristol Bears, their young side gave
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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." Bath to 'stick to process' in European cup final From injury to history - Davidson's rise to ref European final Lions duo Russell & Williams among player of year nominees 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."
Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
‘England axe was blessing' — complete player Cokanasiga ready for recall
The Principality Stadium has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Joe Cokanasiga. The Bath wing has played in Cardiff twice for England. He finished on the losing side both times, most recently in a warm-up match that sealed his exclusion from England's 2023 World Cup squad. Now he is being dragged back there for the second time in a fortnight for the European Challenge Cup final against Lyon on Friday. 'I've had a lot of history there,' Cokanasiga says. 'I've been there with England and last time I was there [with the national team] I didn't have a good experience.' He had a happier experience there two weeks ago when, although an understrength Bath were beaten by Bristol Bears, their young side gave
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
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 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 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 made his Test debut in November 2018 aged 19, scoring a try in the win against Japan and another against Australia a week 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 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 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."
Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Unstoppable Bath secure top spot after resounding win against Leicester
Bath 43 Leicester 15 This was as close to a perfect day as Bath could have wished for. Top spot secured, everyone seemingly through in one piece for Friday's Challenge Cup final and the cherry on top in a resounding seven-try victory was a score from Tom Dunn, Bath's appearance record setter. And it was not just a close-range rumble from the back of a maul either. Instead it featured an X-rated dummy that sent poor Freddie Steward halfway towards Chippenham. It was the type of try that should bring instant dismissal from the front-row union, but each replay was cheered uproariously by a sell-out crowd on the occasion of the hooker's 184th Premiership appearance. ✅ Most appearances for Bath ✅ Dummy try Could Tom Dunn make this day any more special?! #GallagherPrem | #BATvLEI — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 17, 2025 It also broke Leicester's dogged resistance. With Newcastle to come at home in the final round of matches, they are still heavy favourites to secure the second home semi-final but on this evidence they would pose little threat to Bath in a potential rematch in the final. While the first half was highly competitive, Bath squeezed Leicester like a boa constrictor in the second. Tigers simply had no breath left in them after absorbing wave after wave of brutal attack and were hit by two late sucker punches from Joe Cokanasiga and Will Butt. The scary thing for the rest of the Premiership was that Bath were far from firing on all cylinders, even if their back row of Ted Hill, Sam Underhill and Alfie Barbeary were in barbarous form. They must now be odds-on to complete a treble having already secured the Premiership Cup. There were so many fascinating head-to-head battles, perhaps none more entertaining than the battle of the back-up England scrum-halves between Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet. First blood went to Spencer, who might not be renowned for his sniping ability but is never afraid to attack a gap when it presents itself. Such an opening appeared when Sam Underhill fed him line-out ball off the top and the Leicester line-out disintegrated, allowing Spencer to outpace Ollie Hassell-Collins to reach the corner. Give Ben Spencer an inch and he'll take a mile 💨 The Bath captain sees the gap, makes the dummy and sends it home for a try 👏 #GallagherPrem | #BATvLEI — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 17, 2025 After Handre Pollard knocked over a penalty, Ollie Chessum was sent to the sin-bin for making head contact with Will Muir – and the Lions lock might have been lucky to have escaped worse punishment. But even with a man down, Leicester continued to probe and were making slow if steady progress through their close-range carrying game in the Bath 22 when Van Poortvliet pulled the trigger with a cross-field kick. While the chip was perfectly weighted, there was still a lot of work for Joseph Woodward, who claimed the ball above Will Butt's head before twisting past Will Muir and Alfie Barbeary to score. Bath hit back almost straight away through Obano from close range after a wave of powerful carries, notably by Joe Cokanasiga, brought them to within range. However, like Leicester, they would lose a man to the sin-bin after hooker Tom Dunn made contact with the head of Hanro Liebenberg. Leicester almost immediately took advantage. Again they pulled in Bath's defenders with their power game before spreading the play. This time it was full-back Freddie Steward who added the width with a long looping pass to Radwan, who took his record to nine tries in nine games. Despite the howls of protest for a forward pass, the try stood. Steward ➡️ Radwan ➡️ Try Steward picks out Radwan, who flies over the try-line to give Tigers the lead! #GallagherPrem | #BATvLEI — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 17, 2025 Radwan very nearly had a second, capitalising upon Liebenberg's intercept of Russell's pass, but although he outpaced Muir, Hill showed an amazing turn of speed to pull off one of the try savers of the season on pretty much the fastest player in the Premiership. Hill has some engine. Moments later, he was racing down the left touchline after Leicester conceded a turnover in midfield. Russell changed the direction of attack and, while he came close to another intercept, this time the risk was worth it as Roux went under the posts. Russell produced an even better piece with an offload out of the tackle but that was upstaged by Dunn's outrageous dummy. Perhaps with one eye on the final against Lyon, Bath went into cruise control after that but there was still time for Ojomoh to intercept Ben Youngs before quickly deciding that Cokanasiga was the faster option. A final flourish was added by Butt with a try in the corner that will act as an exclamation mark to the rest of the Premiership. Match details Scoring sequence: 5-0, Spencer try; 5-3, Pollard penalty; 5-8, Woodward try; 10-8, Obano try; 12-8, Russell con; 12-13, Radwan try; 12-15, Pollard con; 17-15, Roux try; 19-15, Russell con; 24-15, Dunn try; 29-15, Stuart try; 31-15, Russell con; 36-15, Cokanasiga try; 38-15, Russell con; 43-15, Butt try. Bath: C Donoghue; J Cokanasiga, C Redpath (M Ojomoh, 47), W Butt, W Muir; F Russell, B Spencer (T Carr-Smith, 65); B Obano (F van Wyk, 55), T Dunn (N Annett, 65), T Du Toit (W Stuart, 50, Q Roux (R Molony, 56), C Ewels (G Pepper, 56), T Hill, S Underhill (N Annett, 30-39), A Barbeary (A Green, 65). Sin-bin: Dunn 29-39. Leicester: F Steward; A Radwan (J Shillcock, 41-45), S Kata (J Shillcock, 65), J Woodward (D Kelly, 53), O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard, J van Poortvliet (B Youngs, 50); N Smith (J Cronin, 62), J Montoya (C Clare, 69), J Heyes (W Hurd, 65), C Henderson, O Chessum, H Liebenberg, T Reffell (M Rogerson, 65), O Cracknell (E Ilione, 54) Sin-bin: Chessum 11-21.
