The bond still runs deep for Fijian duo
THEY were part of the Gregor Townsend revolution, key players at Glasgow Warriors as their young head coach set out his own swashbuckling style.
Indeed, many a cold Friday night at Scotstoun was lit up by either a second-row surge from Leone Nakarawa or the sheer unpredictability of his fellow Fijian, the mercurial scrum-half Niko Matawalu.
Success was not in short supply but a zenith was reached with the historic Pro12 Grand Final victory over Munster in 2015.
For Nakarawa, it brought a man-of-the-match performance, with his stock soaring further due to his displays at the World Cup in England for his nation a few months later.
The powerful lock was soon prised away by French giants Racing 92 and he followed Matawalu in departing for pastures new, the No 9 having already sealed his own move to Bath.
Come Saturday and the Test between Fiji and Scotland, then, and there will be a reunion of sorts between Warriors past and present in Suva’s ANZ Stadium.
Much has changed, of course, since the pair last graced a Glasgow jersey. But Nakarawa admits the bonds still run deep — although that will count for very little in the heat of battle.
‘I am from Vatukoula, a goldmining settlement where my dad worked,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘Glasgow was my first professional contract away from home and it was a long way, but the players and the people in Glasgow made me feel at home.
‘I found Glasgow a great place. Warriors was my first club and the people there became my friends, my close brothers, including the coaches who taught me a lot.
‘Whenever I go back to Glasgow, it is honestly like coming to Fiji. Going to Glasgow is like coming home. It will always have a special place in my heart.’
Nakarawa, as part of Fiji’s historic, gold-medal-winning Sevens side at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has superstar status in his home nation.
After returning from Brazil, he was awarded the prestigious Officer Of The Order of Fiji and it is his face on all the posters promoting Saturday’s clash.
Fiji head coach John McKee will look to him to take the game to the Scots but Nakarawa is wary of those old mates, like Ryan Wilson, Jonny Gray and Rob Harley, who know, he admits, ‘how to push my buttons’.
‘I have spoken to my best friend Ryan Wilson,’ continued the 6ft 6in Fijian. ‘He is my Scottish brother. When I go back to Glasgow, I would stay at his place. I am just like his own brother.
‘His kids love me so much. When we speak on Skype or Whatsapp they call me “Nacknacks”.
‘For 80 minutes on Saturday, Ryan is my enemy but the rest of my time he is my brother.
‘I played Glasgow twice in Europe last season for Racing 92. The first game they tried to do things to make me angry because they know me very well. They know I have a short fuse.
‘Even Rob Harley with the ginger hair, who I was close to during my time in Glasgow, knows my mannerisms. They tried to make my angry because I am emotional and they will try and push my buttons in our game again this weekend.
‘They will find I have moved on. If I am going to be soft against Scotland and the Glasgow boys, I would not be helping my team, so I will not be soft against them.’
Nakarawa was signed for Glasgow by Gregor Townsend in 2013 and the second row credits the new Scotland head coach for turning him into the player he is today.
‘Gregor is one of my best coaches I have worked under and he taught me a lot, especially things like offloading,’ said the second row, who spent seven years in the Fiji army before joining the Warriors.
‘He told me how to do it, when to do it and gave me confidence to do it. Gregor is a very good tactical coach and I expect Scotland will try all sorts of play to break down our defence in the first place.
‘They will play the Glasgow way, which is wide play. They will play offloads and be full of quick action.’
Nakarawa will be in direct competition with Jonny Gray in the second row, although he’s surprised that he’s even there with Scotland. ‘I call him baby brother,’ he added. ‘When I was there, he was still just 19.
‘After the Lions team was announced, I was hoping he would be in it because he was one of the best locks in the Six Nations. I told him not to worry about it because he is still young. Maybe one day he will be the Lions captain. He is that good.’
Matawalu, meanwhile, is sporting an outrageous haircut he claimed was enforced on him after losing a bet. He said he was also excited about seeing his old Warriors team-mates again.
‘Glasgow was my first club so I’m excited to see Gregor and everybody here again,’ said the 28-year-old whose move to Bath wasn’t a success and he has been on loan to Aviva Premiership champions Exeter.
‘The match between Scotland and Fiji five years ago was a vital one for me and it is still there at the back of my mind at all times.
‘Straight after the game, I had a phone call from my agent in Australia saying Glasgow and Gregor were interested. It was a great move and I can’t thank Glasgow and Gregor enough.
‘He did a lot of things to make me a better player. His kind of game is like the Fijian style. He loves to play fast rugby. He loves offloads and for players to play to the best of their abilities.
‘I like the way he’s got Scotland playing and, although we have a qualifier against Samoa for the 2019 World Cup coming up, we want to win on Saturday.
‘I want to start against Ali Price, who was in the Glasgow academy when I was there. I told him: “One day, when I go, you will be No1 choice for Scotland” and I was right. He can cause us problems with his style of game.’