All Blacks: Cowan training 'in the now' for big test

Jimmy Cowan says he's not getting caught up in the emotional aspects of the All Black's recent losses. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Jimmy Cowan does not want to look back, nor is he too keen to forecast the future.

It is his method of concentrating on a new twist of the old maxim that he takes one day at a time, that he does not allow himself to get caught up in sentimental successes of his All Black career or run the risk of thinking beyond the next game.

They have been well schooled these All Blacks. They all deliver a similar mantra and in Cowan's case, after his celebrated tussles with the booze, the day at a time mantra probably helps.

In the past he has taken the bait.

These days the All Black halfback returns questions with a smirk or a steely glare and a straight down the middle reply.

Cowan does not want to give the Wallabies any ammunition on the eve of the second Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney. He is willing to accommodate the pre-match media inquiries but he is not going to provide headlines.

"I've got a real now focus," he says, "we are just taking each day as it comes, we are building slowly and we will get bigger as the week goes on.

"Every test match is big and you don't want to get too caught up in it, just go out there and do your best."

The Wallabies would be hurting as much as the All Blacks with both teams coming off twin defeats.

"But I am not going to stand here and get caught up with what is going to happen on Saturday. I am not going to look too far ahead or what's happened in the past. As an individual I have been building slowly through the week," Cowan said.

There was not a great deal he needed to change to his game to adjust to the return of first five-eighths Daniel Carter. It was just time at training to get used to their rhythm and hearing Carter's instructions again.

It was a comfort to see Carter wearing the No 10 jersey again, they had not taken long to rediscover their patterns and the team had responded to the enthusiasm delivered by the senior five-eighths.

Beyond that, Cowan was reluctant to make many more observations because he did not want to besmirch the efforts of the supplanted Stephen Donald.

"He has helped my game a lot over the last month and they are both quality individuals," Cowan said.

The 27-year-old missed out on the last World Cup but has been the starting halfback in four successive All Black victories against the Wallabies since replacing Andy Ellis after the defeat in Sydney last year.

He does not know whether there is any significance in that statistic. He wants to play every test and suggests any inquiries were best directed at coach Graham Henry.

Another inquiry about the pressure on the All Blacks to avoid three straight defeats last suffered by the All Blacks in 1998, is given a repeat slip pass from Cowan. That is the sort of history he does not even contemplate.

Stoic Southlander this joker. In the zone, a tough warrior, a rugged character who will give 120 per cent as he tells it.

"I am all about the now and the team this week has expressed everything about the now focus. I don't think we can get caught up in what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. We just have to keep doing what we do each day of the week."