RUGBY - Cocker set to step out on his field of dreams

If he was looking to be tested by one of the biggest, then all the sporting dreams of Northland rugby flanker John Cocker are about to come true when he steps out against Waikato at Okara Park tonight.
The 27-year-old flanker has had only two starts in two years in Air NZ Cup championship fixtures for Northland, and then as a blindside flanker. Tonight he starts in the No7 jumper and is set to front up to Sione Lauaki, the discarded All Blacks power man out to save his rugby career after a tragic effort against Australia last weekend.
Not that Cocker is one to let his feathers get ruffled when it comes to his rugby.
The 27-year-old, who transferred north from Auckland three years back, has a new baby to keep his mind occupied these days, a daughter called Mahalia born just seven weeks back.
He is just keen to nail down his starting spot that has taken a lot of bloody hard work to secure. A former Ponsonby club rugby player, Cocker was set to transfer to rugby league when he opted to head north at the behest of a mate instead.
Since then he has made the Tongan Sevens team, travelled the globe, and is enjoying every moment of it. He even has eyes on a Tongan call-up for the Rugby World Cup 2011.
That is the long-term goal. In the meantime, tonight's game was looming with some added significance.
"It's my blazer game for Northland (15 games) and I'm starting, so I'm one happy chappy," Cocker said.
"I used to be just happy to make the 22, but for a while now (coach) Mark Anscombe has been hammering into us that we need to be pushing to get in that starting 15 and it has finally got through," he said.
"I have just kept my head down and worked hard, done a bit of extra work to get here, and to be honest it feels pretty good."
In at the expense of Joel McKenty, the former Waikato loosie, Cocker will need to have a sound game plan sorted with his loose forward comrades Justin Collins and Blair Urlich though.
Waikato will be pleased Lauaki has been released, especially as the conditions tomorrow will steer the game toward a forward battle of attrition.
For Waikato, prop Hikairo Forbes will make his debut. Forbes, 22, is the only change in the Waikato starting line-up from last week's pre-season hit out against Bay of Plenty.
Forbes will be supported by Aled de Malmanche, who makes the switch to loosehead prop, with recent signing Oli Avei at hooker.
"Northland will be a great test for us first up," Waikato coach Tony Hanks said.
Hanks named Lauaki after he wasn't included in the New Zealand 22 for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup test against Australia in Auckland.
"It was felt it was a good chance to bring him into the Waikato environment, with the view to giving him some game time off the bench," Hanks said.
He shifted loose forward Jordan Smiler to the reserves and bracketed him with fullback James Kamana. Weather conditions would dictate whether he named an extra forward on the bench tonight.