Rocket Man Joe Rokocoko ready to return

JASON OXENHAM/Auckland Suburbans

SMOKIN' JOE: Blues wing Joe Rokocoko is ready to step his way back into the All Blacks. Rokocoko scored a hat-trick of tries in the Blues 38-17 win over the Force at Eden Park.

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Blues captain Keven Mealamu and his team prepare to face the Chiefs.

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Amid the recession last year, Joe Rokocoko was effectively re-structured out of a job.

Rugby evolved. It suited wings who could play fullback. Rokocoko couldn't and was dropped from the All Blacks.

But Wayne Smith reckons the speedster's stocks are on the rise again. The All Blacks defence coach will still have a massive say over the selection of the backs and revealed on Friday that, in 2010, the wing's job description has changed again. Gone is the aerial ping pong which blighted 2009.

"It is fair to say those core skills for a wing still exist – to have fullback type skills – because as soon as there is a weakness exposed in a player, teams are pretty ruthless, and the Bulls in particular have scored tries from bombs just as they did last year," said Smith.

"It has always been part of the job [to catch high balls]. But ironically, players perceived to be frail in that area last year are proving to be quite strong. Joe Rokocoko is one in the last couple of weeks. I don't think he has dropped one high ball, and he is running with real purpose. I think last year in a round-about way was pretty positive for some players because it forced them to develop a greater skill level."

The context of Smith's comments are important. The All Blacks coaching panel stressed their reluctance to talk about individual players. But Smith, for whatever reason, closed the rule book to make special mention of Big Joe, and said his form has been compelling.

Rocokoco has shed some weight, rediscovered a spring in his step and is a better player for it; and Smith seemed to hint that the rejuvenated 60-test veteran is in the frame for an All Blacks call-up come June.

"We have always been interested in big bruisers who can run fast. But we have also been adamant that they have to develop a greater skill set. And that is what we are seeing happening."

Smith and his coaching colleagues Steve Hansen and Graham Henry said they harboured concerns about certain areas of New Zealand rugby.

Compared to South Africa we lack depth in some departments, particularly in the forwards. Our locks have been falling like flies. Carl Hayman declined to bolster the front row.

However, Smith said concerns about finding an understudy to Dan Carter were beginning to abate.

"Stephen Brett's move [from the Crusaders to the Blues] has been a good one. His combination with [halfback Alby] Matthewson is working well. The [Stephen] Donald [and Mike] Delaney combination I think has been good too [for the Chiefs].

"Then we have Robbie Robinson playing outside Jimmy [Cowan] down south who has shown some good form. He is a young man with a wee way to go but he's promising as is [Aaron] Cruden.

"So there are more options and it's good to see good players playing regularly instead of with just one or two franchises."

- © Fairfax NZ News