Australia
No Fiji call-up for Wallabies reject Naiyaravoro
ESPN Staff
August 24, 2015
Naiyaravoro missed selection in both the Wallabies and Fiji squads © Getty Images
Enlarge

Fiji coach John McKee on Monday ruled out giving Taqele Naiyaravoro a last-minute World Cup call-up after the blockbusting winger failed to make Australia's squad for the tournament. McKee said he would consider selecting Fiji-born Naiyaravoro down the track but would not disrupt planning for next month's event in England to accommodate him.

"Taqele is certainly back on my radar for the future," McKee told AFP. "Just because Taqele was effectively not available for us in this World Cup, doesn't mean we won't select him for the future... (but) I'm very happy with the wings we've named."

At 1.94m (6ft 4in) tall and weighing 123kg (19st 5lb), Naiyaravoro's combination of speed and power has been compared to Jonah Lomu. The 23 year-old was included in the Wallabies extended World Cup squad after strong Super 15 form for the NSW Waratahs.

But he failed to make Australia's 31-man squad named last week after confirming he was taking up a contract with Celtic League champions Glasgow Warriors. Ninth-ranked Fiji are in the so-called pool of death at the World Cup, with England, Australia and Wales.

© AAP

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices