Kitione Salawa is quickly returning to his fine form after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 11 months.
Salawa returned to competitive rugby last month during round five of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific where the Drua hosted the Waratahs in Lautoka.
He has since been in the starting line-up after that is set to run out in his usual number seven jersey against Moana Pasifika this weekend.
“I think he is getting better; I think he is enjoying being out there and I think he is just starting to become his physical self again,” head coach Mick Byrne said.
The hard-hitting flanker who has owned this position since the Drua’s inaugural season in Super Rugby Pacific suffered a shoulder injury against the Chiefs last year.
He went through a tough seven months of rehab overcoming a series of physical and psychological impacts of his injury.
“He had a couple of nasty injuries over the last couple of years and it takes you a couple of games to get a few hits and get confidence back in your injuries that you have recovered. He has done that and I’m really liking the way he is approaching training as well. I think he will improve in every game now leading into the end of the year,” Byrne said.
Salawa was not part of the team that lost to Moana Pasifika 36-39 in round two of the competition at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
