GLASGOW Warriors have confirmed they have had talks with Leone Nakarawa, the Fiji international who left the club for Racing 92 three years ago, about a return but deny there is any commitment yet from the player.
"We’re definitely keen and we’re definitely interested. We’re just waiting for clarification on whether he wants to do that," said Kenny Murray, the assistant coach.
"Obviously there is interest at the club in getting him here.
"The club has gone down a process with him and there needs to be some kind of agreement if he wants to come."
The reality is Glasgow are hoping that, after a fraught finish to his time in Paris with Racing that ended with him being sacked and accused by the club of a "deplorable" lapse in standards, the lure of friendship in a place he knows and likes will be more important to Nakarawa than money.
"The reality is that clubs in Europe – in England and France – have a lot of money, but he really enjoyed his time here," Murray added.
"He moved for his own interests, because he was offered big money abroad, but he likes the people here and is really friendly with a lot of the guys.
"He has a really good relationship with Ryan Wilson. They speak every week and have done for a long time. Obviously we have Niko [Matawalu, a fellow Fijian] here and guys like Mesu [Dolokoto] – he has strong connections.
"I think he enjoyed the crowd and the city here, so I think he is maybe at a stage where he just needs somewhere to come back to so he can relax and get on with his rugby."
It is not hard to see why Glasgow would be interested – though those are most of the same reasons that big-money clubs are probably also sniffing around his signature on a contract with Nakarawa.
"He brings a bit of x-factor," Murray explained.
"He’s been one of the best ball-carrying, offloading forwards in European rugby over the past few years. That part of his game is up there with the very best.
"He’s also a good set-piece forward, he can scrummage well and he’s a good operator in the line-out.
"He’s also versatile. We’ve seen at Racing that he can also play in the back row and at No.8, he’s done that a few times for them. He’s a strong, flexible player."
He was a key part of Glasgow's PRO12-winning squad in 2015, particularly in the final where his outrageous offloading skills caught Munster out time and time again.
It didn't work only for Glasgow, though. The following season, he was part of Fiji's Olympic gold medal-winning sevens squad and his second season with Racing saw him crowned as European player of the season after his exploits helped power the club to the Champions Cup final.
His troubles in Paris became public, however, when he was late returning to Paris from the Rugby World Cup after going home to Fiji and the French side got rid of him.
"I think it is tough for guys from Fiji when they go away to World Cups and stuff," Murray remarked.
"They are big family people and they like to go home. It is not just like a small family over there when they go back.
"We were always aware of that and we tried to give him a bit of extra time at times. It’s the same with Niko. At the end of the day they [Racing] have their own standards. We’re hopeful we can get him here and engage him well enough so that we won’t have that issue with him."
Certainly news of his signing would come as a significant boost for the club in a big week for them as they plan for the return match against La Rochelle, where they probably need not just win but a four-try bonus point as well.
"It’s six really tough games on the spin if you include La Rochelle," Murray added.
"So, if anything is going to happen, we want to get it done in days – not weeks.
"It’s no secret there’s interest from us. It just comes down to whether a deal can be agreed and whether Leone is keen on it."
THIS weekend's match against La Rochelle is being used to support the foodbank in Whiteinch and Glasgow Warriors are encouraging fans coming to the game to bring items they can donate to the cause.
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