Isa Nacewa - World Cup??

Leroy Lita · 24-05-2011 11:19PM #1

After such a good season with Leinster, surely Fiji will pick Isa Nacewa in their squad for the world cup? Isa would have surely been good enough to be an All Black
why has he only played once for Fiji?

Podge_irl · 24-05-2011 11:21PM

Of course Fiji would pick up. It's entirely up to whether Nacewa wants to play for Fiji. He has no great love for them.

Leroy Lita · 24-05-2011 11:26PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

He has no great love for them.

why did he choose to play for them so?
if he bided his time then he would have been an All Black

totallegend · 24-05-2011 11:28PM

Leroy Lita wrote: »

After such a good season with Leinster, surely Fiji will pick Isa Nacewa in their squad for the world cup? Isa would have surely been good enough to be an All Black
Why has he only played once for Fiji?

He's a Kiwi of Fijian background rather than a native Fijian, but I think I remember him saying that when he joined up with them for the 2003 RWC, he was under the impression that even if he played for Fiji, he would later be eligible for NZ. When Fiji played here in 2009, it was floated that he would play for them and Nacewa shot them down.

irishbucsfan · 24-05-2011 11:31PM

Yeah he fought viciously against the ruling that made him a Fiji player.

Fiji brought him out as an injury replacement and told him he wouldn't be needed and if he was it wouldn't count anyway. He was brought on for 3 minutes and then when he returned to Auckland he was told he was no longer eligible for the All Blacks. The NZRU, Auckland and Nacewa all fought the ruling but Fiji fought to keep him. The ruling was upheld and he was no longer a Kiwi. I don't think he ever forgave them.

Podge_irl · 24-05-2011 11:31PM

Apparently he didn't know it would disqualify him from playing for the ABs. Bit silly of him but he was a rash youth, hardly the first and hardly the last.

tolosenc · 24-05-2011 11:51PM

Leroy Lita wrote: »

After such a good season with Leinster, surely Fiji will pick Isa Nacewa in their squad for the world cup? Isa would have surely been good enough to be an All Black
why has he only played once for Fiji?

Fiji will pick him. And then he'll say no. He doesn't want to play for Fiji. End of.

hardCopy · 25-05-2011 12:02AM

I wonder if CauCau will be picked/invited? He's fallen out with them previously IIRC.

PhatPiggins · 25-05-2011 12:24AM

tolosenc wrote: »

Fiji will pick him. And then he'll say no. He doesn't want to play for Fiji. End of.

He's already made himself available for the WC along with 26 other european based Fijians.

Whether he plays or not who knows.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 25-05-2011 12:31AM

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He's already made himself available for the WC along with 26 other european based Fijians.

Whether he plays or not who knows.

Has he? A few weeks ago he told an interviewer I just want to focus on Leinster when asked about. I assumed that he meant that he wasn't going to the WC cause he wanted to focus on Leinster.

If he makes himself available they will pick him imo, question is does he want to go

Podge_irl · 25-05-2011 12:32AM

So some sources claim. He gave an interview around the time of the semi-final where he said he was staying with Leinster during the RWC.

PhatPiggins · 25-05-2011 12:38AM

Maybe he's changed his mind since this was released:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/fiji-goes-european-for-world-cup-20110421-1dq3s.html

There was a list of the players knocking around but I can't be (arsed) finding it.

I don't read the Leinster related press as religiously as you lads so I won't pretend to be an authority on the matter.

ChristopherUno · 25-05-2011 12:47AM

Podge_irl wrote: »

So some sources claim. He gave an interview around the time of the semi-final where he said he was staying with Leinster during the RWC.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0430/1224295759882.html
Here's the article, based on this it seems he won't be playing for Fiji.

Podge_irl · 25-05-2011 01:01AM

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Maybe he's changed his mind since this was released:

I'm not entirely sure he's made up his own mind tbh.

Amazotheamazing · 25-05-2011 01:03AM

While I understand why he doesn't want to play for Fiji, it'd be great to see him playing with them in the RWC. The RWC needs as many great players as it can get, imo, especially for the "minnow" teams.

Morf · 25-05-2011 11:38PM

Fiji aren't a minnow team. They just can't get players released for most international test windows.

They will be a very stiff test for most teams in the WC.

PhatPiggins · 25-05-2011 11:42PM

Morf wrote: »

Fiji aren't a minnow team. They just can't get players released for most international test windows.

They will be a very stiff test for most teams in the WC.

+1 they got progressively better with each game in the 2007 WC, which was probably the last time they had a full squad to pick from :mad:

Morf · 26-05-2011 12:08AM

A pretty good bet for a QF place.

WeeBushy · 26-05-2011 12:09AM

Not having a domestic league where they can keep their players really hampers them.

Gracelessly Tom · 26-05-2011 10:01AM

Morf wrote: »

A pretty good bet for a QF place.

Probably not this year. NZ government will not allow any Fijian military personnel into the country which apparently rules out a few of their players. They could end up being weaker than usual this time around.

Shame though, they are one of the best teams to watch come RWC time. Love watching them play.

d'Oracle · 26-05-2011 10:20AM

WeeBushy wrote: »

Not having a domestic league where they can keep their players really hampers them.

Like it hampers Argentina?

tolosenc · 26-05-2011 12:39PM

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

NZ government will not allow any Fijian military personnel into the country which apparently rules out a few of their players.

Hadn't heard that. It's a shame.

irishbucsfan · 26-05-2011 01:15PM

d'Oracle wrote: »

Like it hampers Argentina?

It does hamper Argentina! :pac:

hardCopy · 26-05-2011 01:52PM

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Probably not this year. NZ government will not allow any Fijian military personnel into the country which apparently rules out a few of their players. They could end up being weaker than usual this time around.

Shame though, they are one of the best teams to watch come RWC time. Love watching them play.

That seems a bit mental, are they afraid of invasion?

Gracelessly Tom · 26-05-2011 01:58PM

hardCopy wrote: »

That seems a bit mental, are they afraid of invasion?

It's something to do with the coup there and the military government.

Maybe the new military government won't allow the Kiwis to poach any more Fijians!!

*edit - Here's a link that explains....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10715732

danthefan · 26-05-2011 05:58PM

Morf wrote: »

Fiji aren't a minnow team. They just can't get players released for most international test windows.

They will be a very stiff test for most teams in the WC.

This would contravene IRB rules. All players from all nations must be released to international teams within test windows.

peterako · 26-05-2011 07:25PM

Maybe so.....but when clubs are paying the wages they can 'strongly suggest' that players not go

desertcircus · 26-05-2011 11:01PM

Players can simply refuse to turn out for their countries, which is frequently expected of Pacific Islanders. You don't do yourself any favours come contract time if you make an issue about wanting to play.

There is one thing the IRB could do to make it much more even; bar internationally capped players from playing club rugby while their countries are competing. Clubs convince the players to skip World Cups to serve their employers; the equation could change a bit if the player couldn't be used anyway.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 26-05-2011 11:12PM

desertcircus wrote: »

Players can simply refuse to turn out for their countries, which is frequently expected of Pacific Islanders. You don't do yourself any favours come contract time if you make an issue about wanting to play.

There is one thing the IRB could do to make it much more even; bar internationally capped players from playing club rugby while their countries are competing. Clubs convince the players to skip World Cups to serve their employers; the equation could change a bit if the player couldn't be used anyway.

bar internationally capped players from playing during international windows, what a blanket ban efffecting all internationals. Who would play for Leinster during the 6Ns

Some players just don't want to play international rugby or play for a patricular, Nacewa turned out once for Fiji and was tricked into it, you want the IRB to ban him from playing club rugby during international windows due to a stupid mistake.

WeeBushy · 26-05-2011 11:14PM

Yeah its a pretty bad idea. It would also discourage youngsters from accepting call ups to the national side as they will never be able to play for their club while international are going on, which are important opportunities for them. There are a lot of players who would be affect in Ireland, just for example.

PhatPiggins · 26-05-2011 11:44PM

danthefan wrote: »

This would contravene IRB rules. All players from all nations must be released to international teams within test windows.

The theory is wondeful isn't it but the reality is that clubs often sign Islanders on the provision that they don't play internationals when it clashes with whats best for the club. They obviously don't advertise the fact.

Ever watch a Fijian or Samoan test thats not being played in Europe or the WC? You'd do well to know 5 players.

Isa Nacewa - World Cup??

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