Giant Taqele Naiyaravoro's Fijian World Cup dream hanging by a thread
Head coach Gareth Baber admits it is highly unlikely he could throw Taqele Naiyaravoro a potential Rugby World Cup lifeline by naming the powerful Northampton wing in the Fiji squad for the remaining HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series legs in London and Paris.
John McKee, the Fiji 15’s head coach is formulating his squad for the World Cup in Japan in September and has been impressed by the try scoring form of Naiyaravoro, who won the last of his two Wallaby caps in the 44-40 loss to England in June 2016.
McKee believes it is still possible to get the wing qualified for Fiji and said: ”Taqele is in fine form at Franklin’s Gardens and having played for Australia, he needs to be eligible to play for Fiji. And for this we need him to play for Fiji at the World Sevens Series next stop in London on May 25-26. But the decision will be entirely on Fiji Airways Fijian 7s coach Gareth Baber, he makes the call.”
Naiyaravoro, 6ft 5ins and 19 stones, was dropped from the final Wallabies squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and played for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh before joining Northampton Saints last year.
However, Baber told RugbyPass from the Fiji Sevens squad’s training base in Suva that to parachute any player into the squad at this late stage would be difficult to justify, particularly with the team just three points behind Series leaders USA heading into the London leg.
The Fiji sevens squad are currently undergoing intensive training in an attempt overtake the USA and win the title just a year out from the defence of their Olympic gold won in Rio in 2016. The top four teams in the Series standing will automatically qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan and Baber is totally focussed on clinching the HSBC title which was snatched away from Fiji by South Africa in the final leg in Paris 12 months ago.
Baber said: “It is a tough one and a player of that talent is someone you want to see representing Fiji in Sevens or 15s. The timing at the moment is very difficult with a World Sevens Series to be won and he is still involved with Northampton, who are trying for a top four Premiership finish and potential play-off semi-finals.
“To try and piece all that together before you even start to find out the fitness levels to be able to play sevens, is too difficult at this stage to think about putting him into London. In the future we may have an opportunity to bring Naiyaravoro in and blood him to see what he could do in sevens jersey but for me to say now “we will have him in” is doing a disservice to the players I have here or the ones I would potentially bring in who have done the due diligence. The bottom line is that we have to go and win a World Series and I don’t want to change the dynamic of the squad overnight.”
According to World Rugby, under the Olympic Sevens qualification regulations, one of the criteria is that a player would need to play in four Sevens rounds to switch countries.
Paula Dranisinukula has been leading the Fiji Sevens squad which defended their Hong Kong title for a fifth successive time and has been joined in training by key players Kalione Nasoko, Mesulame Kunavula and Waisea Nacuqu who are now available.
Dranisnukula said: “ The USA is a tough opponent and they study us well but they cannot cope with our offload game. They cannot defend our offload game and if we score two tries in the first half then again in the second half they will just give up. If they want to beat us they keep ball away from us and maintain pressure throughout the game. We are working on applying pressure for 14 minutes, it will be a good challenge. The boys can’t wait to go and play the last leg and take on the challenge. It will not be easy we will sweat and bleed for it but the boys are ready.”
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to comments