'He doesn't look too bad in Blue' - Joe Rokocoko's take on the new Carlos Spencer
Ask a Blues supporter to picture the once-mighty team’s heydays and they’ll cast their mind back to the likes of Joe Rokocoko, Carlos Spencer, Doug Howlett and Rupeni Caucaunibuca carving up opposition defences seemingly at will.
From the Super 12’s inception in 1996 until the mid-2000s, there simply wasn’t a more exciting team to support than the Blues. Their outrageously talented backs put many a side to the sword and the Auckland-based franchise has never really come close to glory since the Blues’ last title win in 2003.
Joe Rokocoko, the man who scored 25 tries in his first 20 tests for the All Blacks, was a key part of the Blues team that last tasted Super Rugby victory – though with the likes of Howlett, Caucaunibuca, Rico Gear and Mils Muliaina all on the books, the inaugural Super 12 champions were never short of talent in the outside backs.
“World-class, all those players,” Rokocoko said to RugbyPass when thinking back to the ludicrously stacked side he represented in the first half of his career.
“I remember being in the Blues the first few years. The philosophy was just ‘the wingers get the ball’ – that was Los’ (Carlos Spencer) first thing.”
Playing with the man known as King Carlos ensured every player on the field – on both teams – had to always remain on guard because you could never predict what was coming next.
“It was do-or-die every week,” recalled Rokocoko.
“Los was always a guy that said, ‘Just give me options, inside or outside.’ Then he’d just choose – so if he’s not passing an inside ball or doing a no-look pass, he’d do a banana kick.
“You can just hear the old ‘cuz, cuz, hey cuz?’ and he’d raise his eyebrows, he’d do the old look and you’d know something was coming. He’d just tell you to be ready.
“He’d create so many options for the boys. Even if you were on your own goal line or whatever, you’d know he was going to try something, you just have to be aware. His belief and trust in his backline and his team is massive. He’d back anyone.”
Rokocoko debuted for the Blues in 2003 as a 21-year-old with zero professional rugby experience. He’d missed out on representing Auckland in the 2002 NPC after breaking an ankle at the Under-21 World Cup held earlier in the year but his prodigious talent and finishing prowess was so evident that Graham Henry – the then-coach of the Blues – brought him straight into the squad.
“Making the Blues itself was a huge, huge honour,” Rokocoko said.
“I was doing rehab when Ted (Henry) came downstairs into the gym and was doing exercise. I was a bit nervous and just doing my stuff and he said, ‘How are you kid?’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah, good sir’.
"I was always having words to Jack… I was saying to him, 'Are you ready to move to 12 for me?' And then it eventually turned to, 'Please move to 12 for me.'"
Braydon Ennor spoke to @TomVinicombe about life with @CrusadersRugby. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/IE9Z7qRX2V
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 26, 2020
“He just stands there and you can see him thinking and he goes, ‘Do you reckon you could play Super Rugby?’ and I go, ‘Nah – maybe in two, three years? But I don’t think so, not yet.’ He just goes, ‘Ok’ – that’s the only thing he said, then walked out.
“A few months later, I got a call from Fitzy (Sean Fitzpatrick) – he was the manager. He said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve made the Blues’. It was massive.”
Since Rokocoko’s debut season – which culminated in his maverick side beating the Crusaders to earn their third title – the Blues have managed just two more appearances in the knockout stages of Super Rugby.
The Blues haven’t finished higher than 9th place since 2011, which is an incredible fall from grace for the franchise that won the first two Super 12 competitions on the trot and has comfortably the largest selection-base to pick from in New Zealand.
Things were looking up for the Auckland side this year prior to Super Rugby’s cancellation with the team recording four victories in a row – including a first win away from home against a fellow New Zealand side since 2013.
Last year, the Blues also managed to break a 15-game losing streak against the Chiefs – so things are certainly looking up for the once-feared side.
Rokocoko suspects that the arrival of one Beauden Barrett could also have a positive impact on his old team.
“He doesn’t doesn’t look too bad in Blue, he looks pretty settled in that Blues jersey,” Rokocoko said of the 83-cap All Blacks playmaker.
“I just saw his bronco, he just passed my record by two minutes I guess. It’s unbelievable how fit Beauden is, coming into it – he’ll be massive for the franchise, jut the excitement he can bring to that backline. A similar version of excitement that you bring with Los but unique – he’ll be massive.
“I’m a big fan of him and he should go good.”
The Blues have never really found a replacement for Spencer since he departed NZ’s shores in 2005 and fans and pundits alike have been quick to suggest that Barrett could be the leader that the side needs in the 10 jersey to guide the team to another Super Rugby title.
With Super Rugby Aotearoa now replacing the regular 2020 season, Barrett will be put through the ringer for his new club, with the Blues playing the four other New Zealand teams twice over a 10-week period.
Based on how things were progressing for the side prior to the suspension in March, there will be an incredible amount of confidence in the Blues camp – which might finally allow the franchise to secure their first title in 17 years.
Comments on RugbyPass
You probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to comments