Joe 'just filling Jonah's jersey'

SYDNEY - Fijian-born All Black wing Joe Rokocoko used his blistering pace to register a hat-trick of tries against Australia, but his sidestep came into play at after-match interviews when comparisons with Jonah Lomu were raised.

"I don't like it," he said of the comparisons. "I respect Jonah to the max."

Rokocoko said he had his own style of play "and I'm just concentrating on myself rather than Jonah."

"I'm just filling in in his jersey so far," he said. "You've got to take the opportunity and now I've just got to improve day in and day out."

Rokocoko was modest about his contribution to New Zealand's victory, despite being one of the stars of the game with his lethal finishing.

His three tries lifted his tally to 10 in just five tests for the All Blacks.

"The forwards were able to get good ball and fortunately for us the tries came," he said.

"I think there were a few holes in the Australian defence which really helped today. We made the most of our opportunities by creating gaps and going through them."

Rokocoko said there was a good feeling in the All Blacks' dressing room after the win, particularly because the team had gained a reputation for losing in the last minute to their transtasman rivals.

He said he had enjoyed marking Wendell Sailor.

"He's an outstanding player. I respect him highly. He is one of the players I really look up to. To come face to face to him on the night was a really big moment, and to actually tackle him was good.

"But I missed a tackle on him [the move in which Sailor scored his try], which wasn't very good ... so that's another big challenge when we get to Eden Park [for the Bledisloe Cup return match on August 16]."

* Sailor has apologised to Mils Muliaina for a dangerous tackle, in a gesture Brad Thorn said was typical of his former Brisbane league team-mate.

Sailor was sinbinned in the 24th minute of the test for chopping Muliaina down in mid-air after the All Black fullback had leaped high to defuse a bomb.

Sailor visited the All Blacks' dressing room after the game to make peace with Muliaina.

"Wendell came in and said a few words to Mils about the tackle, and that says a lot about his character," Thorn said.

"That [sinbinning] would have hurt him because Wendell doesn't like letting down his team-mates. He's just a quality guy. He's eccentric and all that, but he's a nice guy."

- NZPA