'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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAwC7j0gxgE/
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
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments