KEY POINTS:
His story has been chronicled the world over, from Carisbrook to Cardiff, Auckland to the Cape. No one loves a fallen sports hero more than the media; Jimmy Cowan's troubles have become public knowledge inside and beyond New Zealand's shores.
Yet they say a change is as good
as a rest. True, you don't overcome the kind of off-field battles confronting the All Blacks halfback in tomorrow's Cape Town test simply by catching a plane overseas. Yet he came bounding up the steps into what must be seen by the players as the media inquisitors' room at their Cape Town hotel overlooking the picturesque Waterfront and fronted up to questions, both delicate and indiscreet.
So far, Jimmy Cowan is handling it with aplomb.
It's been a turbulent ride for Cowan these past 12 months. Only last December, he was voted 2007 Super 14 Player of the Year. But 2008 brought a tough reality. Forced to confront his drink problems by another incident, Cowan headed for the last chance saloon. Damned by some as the squanderer of a supreme talent, many suspected he would never play for the All Blacks again.
Maybe he wouldn't have done had New Zealand, and encumbent halfback Andy Ellis, not endured such a dire night in Sydney as Robbie Deans' Wallabies torched them in Sydney. That night, as the All Blacks skidded to defeat, Ellis and Cowan, both injured, stumbled through a confused substitution jig.
Within 24 hours, Cowan had emerged as the healthier of the two wounded halfbacks and was being lined up for the first-choice slot. He returned, played a staggering, swaggering game of huge accuracy and effectiveness in Auckland as the All Blacks gained fulsome revenge and suddenly Cowan was first kid on the block for the halfback role against the world champion South Africans in Cape Town this Sunday morning (NZT).
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers even said of him: "He is one of the most street-wise players around at the moment in the international game."
So all's well that ends well? Cowan has seen too many twists and turns along his own personal road to buy that one. "It's an on-going process for me at the moment; it is not all behind me. But I am taking steps to rectify that and the best way is for me to play rugby and let my game do the talking for me.
"Other people are making comments but if I go out and put my best foot forward on the rugby field that should do the talking. Rugby is a salvation for me. This has all made me realise I am very fortunate that I have got rugby at the moment. I was so close to losing it and that's a big motivating factor. So I am focusing very strongly on the game."
Cowan knows he isn't out of the woods yet, by any means. But he says that his sport offers him some light in a dark tunnel. "I have a great network of friends and my teammates and the management are helping me through it. They have been fantastic and I owe a lot to them. If I can get through this whilst still playing rugby then all the better."
Yet when did sentimentality intrude into an All Blacks' selection process? Cowan knows that this Sunday morning, against the world champions in their Cape Town backyard, is the acid test - for him and his mates. And if he doesn't perform, he wouldn't expect to be kept on for old times' sake.
"You might get into the side but unless you perform, you won't hold the jersey. And I so want to hold it," he says, an almost wistful expression on his face.
What of Auckland and that coruscating turning of the tables against the Wallabies a fortnight ago? Cowan pleads mitigating factors when words of praise head his way for his display that night. "My job was made so much easier by the guys in front of me. They played so well up front they laid it on a plate.
"It's always easy to come in and play your first test when no one knows about you but it's tests like this [weekend's] that count. You are away from home playing in a cauldron, a lot is on the line and we're playing the Springboks in South Africa. That is what it is all about and that is why I play rugby as an individual, for these occasions. What more could a young fellow ask for? I am proud to be here and it's an honour. I am really looking forward to it; it's something I love and I can't wait to get out there.
"It's never nice to lose a test and Dunedin was painful for the boys. But I'm sure they will be up for it this week. Personally, I'm 100 per cent and raring to go."
Cowan identifies one chief quality in his battle to succeed, both on and off the rugby field. "Mental toughness is part and parcel of being in this position. I love the pressure side of things; it seems to bring the best out of me.
"I am at my best when my back is against the wall and I am down but not quite out. I seem to come back bigger and bigger. I know I have to fix the off-field problems myself: I have to close doors on it. I am getting help, I am seeking help but at the end of the day it comes down to me and the willpower and mental toughness to succeed.
"You have to put your mind to it alright but if I do that, I don't think there's any reason why I can't fix it. If you are playing at a high level of sport, especially for the All Blacks, that tends to give you mental toughness. You need that to reach this level. Obviously, I hope that factor can help me in other ways, too."
Such a trait will be essential for the 26 year-old South Islander in tomorrow's Cape Town test. Cowan's game management, selection of options and shrewd kicking hallmarked New Zealand's Auckland success. But he is realistic enough to understand he is unlikely to get such a carpet ride in Cape Town against the rugged Springbok pack.
Thus, Jimmy Cowan knows he's fronting up to two big battles in his life; resolving his off-field problems and cementing his hold on the All Blacks' halfback jersey. The good news is that he's positive and committed about cracking both. You can but wish the young man well in his dual quests.
