#46: Joe Rokocoko | The Fijian Flyer & The Art of Deception On The Pitch

The Rugby Bricks Podcast

Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko is a professional New Zealand rugby union player. Rokocoko is one of the top ten try scorers of all time in International Test Rugby. Rokocoko played 96 matches for the Auckland Blues and 69 first class test matches for the All Blacks before moving to France where he played 98 matches for Bayonne and 87 matches for Racing 92 retiring in 2019.

Rokocoko right now is a skills development consultant for the team at Racing 92. To keep up with Joe and what’s he doing now you can follow and find Joe on Instagram @jrokocoko and on Twitter @J_Rokocoko. In terms of what Joes shares on this episode it’s one of our best for learning the intricacies of:

• How Joe grew playing one touch in his driveway and how this style of “Fijian” rugby allowed him to see space on the pitch creatively
• Understanding how the man off the ball dictates move you’re going to do and it’s not one carrying the ball who is the playmaker
• How Mils Muliaina created safe comms so that Joe could trust his speed and the tools that a good communicator needs in your back three
• How to deceive players with your face and eyes while your body and your actions tell a different story and how to exploit the space in between

If you’re someone who is looking to understand the skills, communication and tactics of a world class speed merchant this is your episode. This episode is about implementing the big and little habits that Joe has used in his career to achieve some of the feats he has and putting them into your own game.

The first episode of 2021 is a hell of a listen. Get ready to learn and leverage the knowledge in this episode with Joe Rokocoko.