Leone Nakarawa update: Glasgow Warriors coach Dave Rennie urges caution

Glasgow coach Dave Rennie said yesterday that reports Fiji star Leone Nakarawa was on his way back to the club were premature, despite admitting that talks were being had with the former Scotstoun fans’ favourite.

Leone Nakarawa is in talks about a return to Glasgow Warriors. Picture: SNS

Reports from France 
suggested that Nakarawa was to re-sign for the club, 
potentially just until the end of the season, after being released by French giants Racing 92.

“Speculation always interests me,” said Rennie as he spoke to media ahead of this evening’s Heineken Champions Cup clash with La Rochelle at Scotstoun.

“I’ve had a conversation with him, like half the world I imagine, but there is nothing to confirm yet.”

Nakarawa, one of the heroes of Glasgow’s Pro12 title win in 2015, was let go by the Paris club after he returned to the club 16 days late from the recent Rugby World Cup.

Asked if he was more hopeful than not that the Fijian’s signature could be secured, Rennie, who departs himself at the end of the season to become Australia coach, added: “He is certainly someone we’d be interested in.

“He is tight with the club, he’s got a lot of history here and he’s a hell of a player. There are a lot of options for him so we will see how that plays out. We can’t confirm anything at this stage.”

But Rennie certainly believes the 31-year-old Fijian would be an asset.

“Both [Scott Cummings and Jonny Gray] will play a lot for Scotland during the Six Nations, we believe, so they will be away a lot. We still look pretty good in depth at lock, but if we get a couple of injuries, as we’ve had in the past, then we’re thin.

“Leone can also play in the loose forwards but it’s all pie in the sky stuff at the moment. Let’s just see how it pans out.

“We have spoken and put our best foot forward, like a lot of clubs I imagine. We will see what pans out from there.”