The All Blacks have been his salvation. From being just about out on his ear, he thanked team management for giving him one last chance by kicking the booze and lifting his performances to a level that won him the No 9 jersey. In New Zealand, no one can survive as an All Black if they don't have their act together off the field. Cowan wouldn't be on the cusp of 50 caps if he'd still been struggling with his drinking.
Jerome Kaino wouldn't have become the world-class player he is if he hadn't turned his life around after a drink-driving conviction in 2008 and Hika Elliot wouldn't have earned his 2010 All Black recall if he too hadn't taken some measures to improve himself. Called up as injury cover in 2008, Elliot learned on that tour that he needed to make some major improvements in how he conducted himself after he'd had a few drinks.
"The dark side was more around his behaviour off the field, particularly late in the evening," said All Black manager Darren Shand recently of Elliot. "That was the root of most people's concerns. There were questions over whether he was trust worthy enough to be wearing the jersey and representing the good parts of it."
Only when the selectors were satisfied that Elliot had a handle on his drinking did they feel they could bring him back into the fold, which is not too dissimilar to how things have transpired with Zac Guildford. Selected for the end of year tour in 2009, Guildford made a positive impression but, when the game evolved in 2010, the selectors felt the Hawke's Bay wing had to make improvements both on and off the field.
His inclusion in the World Cup squad is proof that Guildford has won the panel's trust and satisfied everyone that his attitude is exactly where it needs to be.
"I think the big thing he's done is that he's worked hard at making good decisions particularly when he's socialising," says assistant coach Steve Hansen. "When there is alcohol involved, for most young people that is when they can make the odd stuff up with their decision making. He's worked hard and he has a plan in place and a huge desire to be successful - and he doesn't need any off-field stuff-ups. He's got the reward for it."
The All Blacks have confidence that their players understand the expectations and that off-field incidents are not going to be a problem. Such confidence doesn't exist in the Wallaby set-up where their predominantly younger players perhaps don't have the same guidance from their senior peers or management. If there is a strength in this All Black team that goes unnoticed, it is their ability to keep even those with a tendency to steer into trouble very much on the rails.
"What's acceptable and what's not is spelt out pretty clearly," says Hansen. "That is the team culture, then people living it every day reinforces it. Then it comes down to the individual. If he wants to stay in the team and he knows what the rules are and he knows what the culture is and what the values are, he knows if he stuffs up, it affects not just him but the whole group and that reflects poorly on them.
"To win the World Cup, we are all going to have to make sacrifices and have to get on with it. We don't need the added pressure of something happening off the field. That is not to say it won't happen but there is a clear understanding and we have been working hard on this for the last three years."
