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Josh Rakic
February 3, 2012
Rising star Napolioni Nalaga has been compared to international rugby player Jonah Lomu. Photo: Getty Images
NAPOLIONI NALAGA - it's Fijian for fear. And, after destroying his opposition in France and leaving players lying in his wake at the World Cup, the Fijian flyer likened to All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu is to be unleashed on Super Rugby.
Standing at 191 centimetres and tipping the scales at 109 kilograms - and with less body fat than a catwalk model - the new Western Force winger first grabbed the attention of Force coach Richard Graham in 2008 when he debuted for French side Clermont and went on to finish the season as French Top 14's leading try-scorer with 20 tries from 19 matches. The carnage he produced on the field was enough to have him awarded Player of the Year.
But the giant winger and son of former Fijian international Kavekini Nalaga was almost lost to rugby when, following a car accident involving his wife, he fell into a deep depression and was cut from Clermont's roster when he couldn't guarantee he would return to France in early 2011. He stayed by his partner and was found playing Digicel Cup in Fiji mid last year before being signed by Graham and turning out for Fiji at the World Cup.
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''I made a lot of phone calls to people who coached at Clermont [and] to people who coached the Fijian side to find out a lot about him,'' Graham said.
''And at the end of the day he was too good not to recruit.
''I coached in France until 2009 and he came to Europe in 2008 and went to Clermont, and the thing that attracted me first and foremost was his ability to score tries. He's an amazing try-scorer.
''Secondly, he has an incredible work ethic. And thirdly, Fijian boys at the best of times are quite shy and it takes them some time to adapt to different surroundings. But for the guy to go straight from Fiji to France and set the try-scoring record that year, and back it up the next year, be named in the French Dream Team and the next year wins the premiership and scores the only try in the match - it just showed me he can adapt quickly. And he can be a really consistent supporter.''
The 25-year-old earned a reputation as a punisher in France. And Graham said he had developed a similar stature in Perth.
''There's only one Jonah Lomu,'' Graham said. ''But Napo is no slouch. He's a huge man … Clearly one of his best attributes is his size and his power but he's got some speed - definitely.''
And Super Rugby fans will get their first taste of the Fijian flyer this weekend when he turns out for the Force in their first trial against the Brumbies in Darwin. Graham said he was a certain round-one starter barring injury.
''He'll play in our trial this weekend … and expectations are in very good form come round one,'' Graham said.
''I'm looking forward to it as much as anyone.''
Meanwhile, Force recruit Jordan Rapana has been ruled out for the season after the former NRL speedster was forced to undergo a full shoulder reconstruction after injuring the joint during tackling drills last week.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz1lEWNru45
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