DRAGONS TARGET ‘BEST IN WORLD’
THE Dragons are in talks with the lock forward Sir Clive Woodward believes should have been this year’s world player of the year ahead of New Zealand star Beauden Barrett.
Leone Nakarawa, who was named in the 2015 World Cup dream team and was a key figure in Fiji crushing Great Britain 43-7 in the sevens final at last year’s Rio Games to give the Pacific island its first Olympic gold medal in history, has struggled to settle in Paris since being sold to Racing 92 by Glasgow Warriors.
The 29-year-old is understood to be keen on a move to the Dragons and is exactly the type of high-quality import they are bidding to recruit to work with their home-grown Gwent talent.
However, with the likes of England’s 2003 World Cup winning coach Woodward and Ireland’s astute boss Joe Schmidt among his admirers, Nakarawa won’t be short of suitors if he becomes officially available.
And money could be a sticking point for the Dragons with the 6ft 7in and 19st 3lb Nakarawa said to be earning £380,000 at year at Dan Carter’s Racing.
But Woodward believes he’s worth every penny, last month writing in his Daily Mail column: “This guy [Nakarawa] is off the Richter Scale as a talent and there is a good case for World Rugby voting him their player of the year.”
“He is redefining the role of lock and the concept of off-loading and passing. Despite his busy club commitments in France, he has put in the hard yards for Fiji, ensuring their qualification and helping them up the world rankings.”
Brilliant ball-player Nakarawa was man of the match as he fired Glasgow to the Guinness PRO12 title in 2015 with a 31-13 beating of Munster in the final and has been Racing’s top forward since been bought by them, being named in the French Top 14 dream team last season. Schmidt said: “With Nakarawa you need three defenders because the ball is still available for the other guys to play with and that makes him a real handful – he’s so hard to contain. “For a big man playing in the second-row, he’s fast, has a big engine and a real skill-factor.” Dragons have also shown an interest in mercurial Australian outside-half Quade Cooper but he’s likely to see out the remaining two years of his £450,000 a year contract with Super Rugby outfit Queensland Reds if he can’t find a club willing to match it. Cooper was sensationally axed from the Reds squad by new coach Brad Thorn, who told the 29-year-old he no longer needs to turn up to training.
But Australian sources suggest the 70-times Wallaby cap will turn out for club side Souths in Queensland’s Premier Rugby competition and continue to collect his pay cheque.
The figures could be too rich for the Dragons, who have already signed Lions and Wales back-rower Ross Moriarty for next season.
But they are intensifying their efforts to lure Taulupe Faletau back from Bath and persuade Northampton’s powerhouse wing George North to join them.