VETERAN KATONIBAU JOINS SEVENS CAMP
Vodafone Fijian 7s coach Gareth Baber has made no bones of his intention to include Peceli Nacebe in his squad for the 2017/18 World Rugby Sevens Series.
Baber’s interest came after Nacebe’s outstanding performance during the Skipper Cup competition and now for the Fiji Airways Drua in the Australian National Rugby Championship.
“I’ve been following him and several others, but will have a meeting with the coaches and make them aware of my interest,” Baber said.
“I’m also looking at Apete Daveta and Eroni Sau, and they are all on our radar obviously.
“They’re playing well. It’s important that they play and represent Fiji at whatever level but obviously for two or three of them they’ve been playing well and it sort of elevates them again.
“Obviously when that concludes and I will be looking forward to having them in the sevens squad since that has been our intention.”
The 21-year-old Nacebe is playing a playing key role for the Fiji Airways Drua side.
“As soon as he finishes he will join but every player has a different way of developing and we don’t want them to be put under some sort of pressure,” Baber added. Meanwhile, veteran Isake Katonibau joined the sevens team’s camp to work with the younger players. Baber said Katonibau not only brings discipline but his approach always strengthens the players. “The hard edge that he brings and that is something the players will see what he can do. You need that in the players, and that is part of the competitive edge that you need on the field and you got to know how to do it as well.
“But we got to do it with discipline and that’s going to be a big element into bringing that hard edge as to what we do and keeping players on the field and showing that we can intimidate our opposition.”
Some of the new faces in the extended squad are Netani Vaikailia, Eroni Vucago, Tira Wilagi, Elia Canakaivata, Jone Koronisagana, Alesio Vakarorogo, Frank Johnson, Viliame Bolalilai, Alosio Naduva, Alifoso Rautu, Apenisa Cakobalavu and Inia Rokomatu.