Joe Rokocoko

Joe Hart

I was watching Howlett yesterday and started thinking about another all black with a huge try scoring record and wondering why I haven't heard much about him.

He's only 29 and has had some fall from grace. He's spent 2 seasons with Bayonne and has scored NO tries! How could such a talent falter so badly?

I was watching recent Super 15 highlights and you see all these young fast talents and you realise that someone like Howlett would not be let near a Super 15 squad yet he has a starting place in Munster.

Swiwi

Joe Hart wrote: »

I was watching Howlett yesterday and started thinking about another all black with a huge try scoring record and wondering why I haven't heard much about him.

He's only 29 and has had some fall from grace. He's spent 2 seasons with Bayonne and has scored NO tries! How could such a talent falter so badly?

I was watching recent Super 15 highlights and you see all these young fast talents and you realise that someone like Howlett would not be let near a Super 15 squad yet he has a starting place in Munster.

TBH, he went from hero to not great in the space of about 1 season. Because he had been so good it took a while for the AB selectors to actually drop him, but he never looked like regaining his place.

Howlett has probably dropped too much speed to make the ABs now, but he remains impeccable in his reading of the game, positional play & defence.

CatFromHue

I remember when he decided he was going to leave NZ and come to Europe and I was so happy an Irish team didn't pick him up. Some of the stuff he was saying was just a bit too much. Things along the lines of he was looking for somewhere near a nice beach for example.

sydthebeat

Was it he who scored a late try to deny munster another famous win a few years back....that was a fanatastic game!!

trouttrout

Did Rockoko used to employ a spin move with ball in hand?

Swiwi

sydthebeat wrote: »

Was it he who scored a late try to deny munster another famous win a few years back....that was a fanatastic game!!

trouttrout wrote: »

Did Rockoko used to employ a spin move with ball in hand?

Yes & yes. At the height of his powers, he was basically dial-a-try, I reckon he must have been averaging 1 or 2 per game, and it was a matter not if but when he would overtake Howlett's record. Then he just faded...

thomond2006

He plays mostly at 13 for Bayonne.

Swiwi

thomond2006 wrote: »

He plays mostly at 13 for Bayonne.

Does PSA also coach Bayonne?

corny

Swiwi wrote: »

Yes & yes. At the height of his powers, he was basically dial-a-try, I reckon he must have been averaging 1 or 2 per game, and it was a matter not if but when he would overtake Howlett's record. Then he just faded...

25 in his first 20 appearances is amazing.

Slightly off topic but every time i watch these tributes to former ABs i'm always struck by how good the passing is! Its ridiculous.

the baby bull elephant

From talking to some New Zealanders most seem to feel he lost his touch when he bulked up, increased his workrate coming in off the wing a lot and when he started being played on the right wing.

Swiwi

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

From talking to some New Zealanders most seem to feel he lost his touch when he bulked up, increased his workrate coming in off the wing a lot and when he started being played on the right wing.

It all started going downhill about 2009. That was when SA mastered the art of the up-and-under with the Habana chase, and forcing the turnover for not releasing the ball. NZ's natural running game became a liability, and although the IRB, realising that kick-chase rugby would not help grow the game internationally and amended the tackle law to its current state (essentially clear release of the tackled player), the damage was done. SA won the 3N in 2009, and Henry & co decided that wings & FBs should be interchangeable, so players like Rococoko and Sivivatu lost favour to the likes of Cory Jane & Richard Kahui. I think you're right that he did try & bulk-up and all that, but he was such a natural lithe athlete that it just made him relatively slow & ponderous. For 5 years or so he was a first-choice winger, and an extremely good one at that.

pickarooney

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

From talking to some New Zealanders most seem to feel he lost his touch when he bulked up, increased his workrate coming in off the wing a lot and when he started being played on the right wing.

Crazy to think that after 25 tries in 20 tests he could think "this is just not good enough"