THE door is still open for former Fiji 7s player Amenoni Nasilasila to return to national duties.
This, according to Fiji Airways Fiji men’s 7s head coach Osea Kolinisau, in response to questions posed by the media after a training session at Albert Park in Suva yesterday.
Kolinisau said he had no problem in having the former national rep back in the mix considering the range and depth he displayed at the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s in Sigatoka last week.
“I told Noni (Amenoni Nasilasila); I don’t doubt what you got. It’s just you need to get fit and go play local tournaments,” Kolinisau said.
“Noni is back playing again and you can see that he had an impact in the way Yaro (Chiefs) played and to see him controlling the game from playmaker.
“He knew the time to let the ball go and he knew when to keep it.” He shared his interest in having him back in the fold and understood the longer process he would have to take to do so, in light of his release from incarceration last year.
Nasilasila played for the Yaro Chiefs in the Coral Coast 7s, aiding the team from Malolo in powering through to lift the winning trophy and walking away with $50,000 in prize money.
He had attracted renewed interest towards the end of last year, when he supported the Malolo senior men’s rugby team that won the Skipper Cup for the first time.
Public interest in the Namatakula player has soared since, sparking conversations among rugby enthusiasts and pundits for national 7s officials to consider having him don the white jumper once more.
And while Kolinisau is aware of how Nasilasila could add depth to the squad, he also highlighted that public concerns would be raised on their association as former teammates.
The duo’s rugby careers were intertwined under the tutelage of former 7s coach Ben Ryan and were part of a modern era of Fijian 7s rugby that re-shaped its trajectory and led to the sevens gladiators scooping Fiji’s first gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Meanwhile, Kolinisau is expected to name the final squad for the Singapore 7s today.
