Why a Joe Cokanasiga skin fold measurement has left England 'stoked'

England have claimed that Joe Cokanasiga is now in the best shape of his life after Steve Borthwick didn’t pick him for the Guinness Six Nations earlier this year. The 25-year-old’s career has been plagued by injury and he has played in just five Test matches in the four years since travelling to Japan as part of the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad under Eddie Jones, the previous England head coach.

He featured just once at that tournament, scoring twice in his start versus the USA, but he had made eight appearances in the lead-up to that campaign having debuted versus Japan in November 2018. So distraught did he become with his rotten injury run in recent times that he admitted last year to having thoughts of quitting the sport.

However, he has since bounced back to earn selection in Borthwick’s training squad that is preparing for the upcoming World Cup in France and he is giving himself every chance of making the final cut of 33 players when the squad for the finals is confirmed on August 7.

England World Cup kit

England World Cup kit

Strength and conditioning coach Tom Tombleson revealed the change evident in Cokanasiga that now has him challenging strongly for selection with the countdown on towards next month’s moment of truth.

The Bath winger featured in the latest episode of 02 Inside Line, the documentary series charting the England pathway to the final, with Tombleson enthusing: “The first day that he came back into camp, Joe recorded the lowest skin fold measurement we have ever had for him on record. We were stoked about that. The lowest prior to that was 2018, in the autumn.

“He was in pretty good nick in the World Cup in 2019 but for him to do that was immensely helpful to him because it means he didn’t need to use those first couple of headstart camps to get in shape – he was already in shape which means we could just layer more specific training on without having to do much general work to get him into shape to train properly, if that makes sense.

“He knows now what his optimal is, what he needs to have to operate fully and because of that his speed times have been as good as they have ever been if not better. He is clocking up way more high-speed kilometres on GPS metrics than he has ever done before.

“Touchwood, as I speak now, all those injury niggles which are often knocking on his door when we are putting him under physical pressure, they are at bay so if that is not an endorsement for getting into shape then nothing is. He has done a great job there.”

This transformation has had a huge effect mentally on Cokanasiga. “When I have done all my prep it gives me confidence and when it gives me confidence it makes me play with a smile on my face and that is when I am at my best, when I am enjoying my rugby, enjoying training, enjoy being on the pitch with my mates and it goes back to believing in yourself, why you do it,” he explained.

“I always think back to that young kid Joe, watching World Cups, watching England play, watching these superstars play and I was hoping one day that can be me. That is something I want to do, that’s something I use as motivation. If I could speak to the young Joe now, I would say keep believing in yourself. Nothing is impossible. Just back yourself the whole way.

“Physically I think I am in the best shape I have ever been. I have worked hard in the summer to get myself into his position, my diet, my training, trying to do extra bits. That consistency helped me get into the shape that I am in now.

“Before I was happy to be here whereas now, I am more hungry to get back in the squad… missing out on the Six Nations made me a lot more hungry to get back in the squad and prove myself.”