Genia cool like Carter, says Cowan
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:15
All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan rates his Wallaby rival Will Genia very highly. In fact, he has even likened him to New Zealand's own cool-headed game-breaker - Dan Carter.
Cowan is under pressure to keep hold of the All Blacks' No.9 jersey after a couple of sterling performances from Piri Weepu against the Springboks, and Genia won't be making life any easier for him come Saturday.
The Australian halfback will be without his Reds teammate Quade Cooper outside him, and will need to forge a good partnership with Matt Giteau to get the better of the All Blacks pairing of Cowan and Carter.
Cowan - back in the starting team this week, after making way for Weepu in Wellington - admitted that his livewire, emotional approach to the game was in direct contrast to that of the calm, poised 22-year-old Wallaby playmaker.
"Look at the two of us, we're totally different," Cowan told AAP. "You've seen that through his captaincy in the Super 14. He was pretty sharp in that area.
"He reminds me a lot of Dan Carter when he plays - he's pretty cool, calm and collected when he's playing and you sort of see that in his game too," added the ABs No.9.
The Highlanders captain was full of praise for Genia's performance against the Boks after almost an entire month without playing any rugby.
"It's a real testament to his character to come back and play like that, with intensity like that," he said.
"He's just a tough little bugger too.
"I rate him very highly and he's just carried on where he left off in the Super 14, hasn't he, sniping and doing what he does best."
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