New star on the rise

Fiji Times - Monday, April 07, 2008 7:51 AM

A new star emerged for Fiji during the Adelaide 7s where the Digicel-sponsored side was unlucky to lose 14-17 to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Wing Timoci Matanavou's blistering speed and powerful runs caught the eyes of experts and commentators covering the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series event.

National coach Ilivasi Tabua was impressed and he believes the Ra native had lot more to offer if given the exposure to play at top level competitions.

The other good news yesterday, after another unsuccessful bid for a series title, was the move by the Fiji Rugby Union to meet with former coach/player Waisale Serevi, if the 7s maestro was interested.

FRU chief executive Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua said their doors were open should Serevi want to come on board.

Fiji lost its grip on the Adelaide Sevens crown after the side blew a 14-5 lead and went down 17-14 to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Matanavou, 23, has turned heads after outstanding performances in Hong Kong and Adelaide.

His sheer speed and good anticipation makes him a deadly try scoring machine. His other asset is his commitment in the tackle which is a plus in defence. Hailed as the "next big thing" to come out of Fiji, the Nawairuku villager is tipped to make a big impact. He is the fastest player on the domestic scene in both codes after achieving impressive results in fitness tests.

Matanavou caught the eyes of the selectors after a strong performance that helped Ra secure a semi-final berth at the BP National 7s in January.

He is a first cousin of Flying Fijians wing and former Fiji 7s captain Sireli Bobo. Matanavou started taking rugby seriously while in Nasinu Secondary School.

He spent several seasons with the Red Rock club being part of the team that won the BP 7s Series in 2004 and 2005.

However, Tabua doesn't want to rush the wing onto the big scene.

"He (Matanavou) has been getting the exposure and experience playing with the sevens side," Tabua said.

"The exposure will help him a lot and then slowly we will channel him into the fifteens.

"The aim now is to let him get used to the high level competition and pressure which will make the transition easier."

Suva policeman Viliame Maya is another who has caught the eye of Tabua.

Maya has been one of the hard working players within the Digicel-sponsored Fiji seven side.