Flanker Akapusi Qera gives Fiji the 'Q' factor

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 22:01

FIJIAN coach Glen Ella this week spoke of his players having an "X factor", but it is the "Q factor" that is of more concern to the Scotland pack ahead of this afternoon's match.

The Q in question belongs to Akapusi Qera, the openside flanker and team-mate of Alasdair Strokosch at Gloucester. He is not the biggest or heaviest back row in the Guinness Premiership, at 6ft 4in and just over 16 stones, but his frame hides a phenomenal athleticism and power in the tackle that makes even 18-stone rivals wince.

The 25-year-old signed for Gloucester from Pertemps Bees after rave reviews in the 2007 World Cup, and scored eight tries in 22 games in his first term in the Premiership, only being pipped for the Guinness Premiership Player of the Season award by his team-mate James Simpson-Daniel.

He missed much of last season with a knee injury, but is now returning to form, and one player keen to avoid him today is his clubmate, the Scotland blindside and scrum leader Strokosch.

"He doesn't say much – he is a pretty quiet guy – but I know he'll be looking to take my head off when he sees me," said Strokosch, laughing.

"He is definitely one of the best back rows in the Premiership, and if Scottish supporters don't realise how good some of these guys are they will soon realise it when they see him this weekend – unless of course we stop him.

"Individually, the Fijians are incredible talents, and 'Q' is something else. People talk about the Fijians' skills in passing and stepping, but Q is very, very strong and that's all natural as well.

"When he came to Gloucester I don't think he'd ever trained professionally before, but he quickly made himself a force in the Premiership – he is quite something.

"I think he'll have enjoyed the change like I have of coming to international duty, because it hasn't been going as we'd have liked it at Gloucester recently, but hopefully we can keep him quiet for another weekend!"