Will Bath’s Cokanasiga be Key to England’s Hopes for 2019?

The Autumn Internationals have been a fascinating opportunity to see how England’s national rugby union team is looking at present, with the results ultimately being fairly positive.
While there was a narrow defeat to New Zealand, wins against the likes of Australia, Japan and South Africa have hinted at a bright future ahead of an exciting 12 months for the sport as a whole.

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As usual, many talking points emerged from the recent internationals, with one undoubtedly being the emergence of a number of exciting new talents. The name on the lips of many England fans? None other than Bath’s Joe Cokanasiga.

Taking the opportunity

Just 21 years old, Cokanasiga moved to Bath from London Irish this year and his performances led to Eddie Jones selecting him for the Autumn Internationals. He has certainly taken his opportunity too, with two tries in two appearances hinting that the winger has the ability to be involved at international level for the foreseeable future.

Cokanasiga’s form has even led some experts to regard the player as a real ‘one to watch’, with some even going so far as to compare his combination of strength and speed with the one and only Jonah Lomu. Comparisons with the New Zealand rugby legend are hugely exciting when it comes to England’s future prospects, particularly considering the massive year which now lies ahead.

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A big 2019 ahead

The emergence of a player like Cokanasiga could be vital as England gear up once again for some significant upcoming challenges. As of November 30th Paddy Power was offering odds of 3/1 on England winning the Six Nations, which makes them second favourites behind the current powerhouse of Ireland. Excitingly, England’s competition gets underway with a match against their Emerald Isle rivals on February 2nd. However, there is more than just that tournament next year, with the World Cup in Japan looming.

Taking place across two months from September 2nd, the tournament is likely to be a true festival of sporting action and – if involved – the likes of Cokanasiga and other England players will no doubt head to the competition with the words of former Bath player Sam Burgess ringing in their ears. He recently tweeted how he believed England’s disappointing performance in the 2015 event was related to “individual egos and selfish players” and warned that victory in the World Cup is dependent on “a commitment from the full group”. The message is clear - England will need more than star individuals if they are to go far.

Exciting times for England

All in all, the Autumn Internationals have hinted that England are in a reasonable position ahead of a major year for rugby union, with Bath’s Cokanasiga looking set to have a bright future at international level.

It will be fascinating to see how he gets on in the next 12 months when both the Six Nations and the World Cup will give England an opportunity to try and prove themselves to once again be among the best rugby union teams on the planet.