Waqanisaravi impresses O’Gara in La Rochelle win

La Rochelle lock Watisoni Waqanisaravi has impressed head coach Ronan O’Gara following his outstanding performance in their 28-16 win over Lyon last Sunday.

The Dakuinuku, Tailevu, native was initially left out of the squad to face Toulouse in the opening round. He came off the bench against Toulon in round two and made a decisive impact by scoring a try.

He has since earned a regular starting spot from round three.

La Rochelle had originally planned to loan Waqanisaravi to Nevers this season but ultimately changed their minds, retaining the young lock as part of their plans.

“One day, I saw him at training and thought to myself, ‘It’s not possible. Why would he leave?’” O’Gara told Midi Olympique.

“He can play at number 5 or number 8, and he’s only 23. Normally, when you loan a player to a Pro D2 club, it’s to help him develop for the future. But I felt he was ready, and the present is too important.”

O’Gara’s judgement appears to have been spot on, given the impression Waqanisaravi has made in recent weeks.

Standing at 1.95 metres tall and weighing 127kg, the former rugby league player brushed aside Lyon’s defenders with remarkable ease.

He played a decisive role in La Rochelle’s explosive start, producing two well-timed offloads.

His powerful ball-carrying, reminiscent of Will Skelton, helped set up a try in the 55th minute. Picking up the ball close to a ruck, Waqanisaravi powered over to help seal the victory.

“He’s no Will Skelton, but he’s a good addition to our group,” O’Gara said.

“But it’s a great story. Strangely enough, he was playing in the second division in Georgia last year, and we found him. Frankly, he has the potential to be a Test-match player.

“The only question is whether he knows when to push even harder and when to stay calm. When a Fijian player is like that, it can be dangerous in the wrong way. But when he plays like he did today (Sunday), I love it.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but he’s certainly a good example for the group,” O’Gara added.

“He was under a bit of pressure to keep his place in the 23, because Salmaan Moerat might return next week. And he delivered that performance. That’s good, and it proves that the best thing for a coach is to have options.”

Waqanisaravi’s emergence is good news for La Rochelle as the club continues to strengthen its position in the standings.

The 23-year-old has also been named alongside fellow Fijian Setareki Turagacoke in the Flying Fijians’ 68-member extended squad for the Tests against Japan and the Nations Championship.

Waqanisaravi is one of seven uncapped players named in the squad.

He signed with La Rochelle this year and has made five appearances so far. He was part of the Kaiviti Silktails in 2023 before moving to Georgia, where he played for Kazbegi in the country’s top competition.

Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians head coach will be named today.