Edinburgh welcome Junior’s Fijian flair

WHILE Edinburgh were porous in defence and problematic in the line-out in their 26-21 defeat by Newcastle on Friday night, there was one outstanding positive about their play: the performance of Junior Rasolea.

The former Western Force centre, who turned the game in his team’s favour for a time before a late try secured the win for the visitors, promises to bring some dynamism to an attack that has often lacked a cutting edge.

“When I was on the bench I saw some of the weaknesses the opposition had, so I thought I’d go in and try to counter it, and it paid off,” Rasolea said after the match at Murrayfield. “My background is Fijian, so I like to get my hands on the ball. I wouldn’t say I’m the smallest guy in the backline, so I guess one of my strengths is my physicality.”

Having played for Australia’s national sevens team, the 25-year-old is ineligible to represent any other country as international regulations stand. But he has quickly committed himself to life in Scotland, having been sold on the move to the capital by Ben and Alex Toolis, the current and former Edinburgh locks whom he knows from back home in Australia.

“It’s a beautiful city with beautiful people,” Rasolea said. “I played with the Toolis boys back in Brisbane before we went professional, so I had a word with them. They said great things about the boys and the team and the coaching staff.

“It was all positive, and it’s an English-speaking country, even if I don’t understand it all yet. It’s been awesome with the Festival and the beautiful weather, but the boys tell me not to get too comfortable with this weather because it’s going to get a bit colder.”