All Blacks: Cowan relishes battle with 'arrogant' foe

Recalled All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan is expecting a physical battering from the Springboks this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

DURBAN - His dismay at being dropped last week behind him, All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan is braced for the physical battering always reserved for this part of the rugby world.

Cowan's 25th test is against South Africa here on Sunday morning (NZT), a match he fully expects to emerge from in a state of disrepair.

Any pain will be nothing compared to that felt if New Zealand fall to a second straight Tri-Nations defeat following the Springboks' 28-19 win at Bloemfontein last weekend.

Soon after being named to replace Brendon Leonard this week, the combative Cowan was asked to nominate the most demanding matches he has played.

"Probably these guys (Springboks)," he said.

"They are physical and they love to get into you. They bring a sort of arrogance don't they, to their game and their style of play.

"I've been beaten up a few times over here with the Highlanders in Super 14 rugby, especially up in Pretoria and that. That's where a lot of my scars come from."

Cowan was dropped from the 22 for Bloemfontein despite coach Graham Henry describing the 27-year-old's performance in the defeat of Australia at Auckland the week before as his best at test level.

If the man from Gore has stored his agitation from last week, he will explode into the test.

"I'm not going to bulls*** you, I was obviously very disappointed," said Cowan, reduced to running water and messages to the players throughout the loss.

"I had to make a sacrifice for the team and get the other 22 players up for the game. My job was to get them up.

"It's a hard pill to swallow but we are in the professional game now and these things happen.

"Aussies are different to South Africa and certain game plans suit different players and obviously the game plan suited my style of play against Australia.

"It is their (coaches') call and you have to go with it, there is no point getting down."

Cowan doesn't agree with Henry that Auckland was his best test but he was pleased to be relatively error-free.

That will be his priority again this weekend after watching his teammates self-combust against opponents who grew from the tourists' mistakes.

"We were trying to play a lot of rugby in our own half and while we tried to do that we made a lot of mistakes along the way. I think that was half our problem and the defending takes a lot of energy out of the boys," he said.

"Our big issue was that we didn't play field position and territory, we played in our own half. Something we have looked at as a team is how to get down into their half."

Cowan believed the All Blacks were capable of finishing strongly this weekend, as they have done in numerous recent tests, including Bloemfontein.

Therefore, it was important they were within range on the scoreboard when Henry emptied his in-form reserve bench.

Test rugby has become a 60-minute affair at best for Cowan, who is accustomed to making way for designated impact No 9 Piri Weepu.

"It's been working for us of late, hasn't it, Piri coming on and adding real impact in that last 20-30 minutes.

"I haven't got a problem with it, I just go with it."

Meanwhile, the All Blacks underwent a taxing training run in sweltering conditions yesterday, with Canterbury prop Owen Franks put through a torrid live scrummaging session at the appropriately-named Crusaders Sports Ground ahead of his first test start.

For the second straight day, New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs joined the fray, the former All Blacks captain donning a padded body suit to take the blows of players 25 years younger and 25kg heavier than him.

- NZPA