Low volume but powerful impact

Johnny Watterson talks to Fiji's utility back Waisale Serevi who, at 34, can still create magic

In the rugby wallow hole, where opinion is cheap and agreement rare, the name of Waisale Serevi brings harmony. There is no dissent when the utility player's ability is held up for scrutiny. There are few adjectives remaining to describe the Fijian's mastery of the physics of space on a rugby pitch, his bobbing, jinking blinding pace.

The embodiment of optimism, Serevi has been wedded to the sevens game for most of his career and has been described as the best to have ever played it. It is an accolade that could easily have damaged a more charged ego. But at 34 Serevi remains unscathed.

He has come back into the full game following a fractious relationship with the Fijian union and hopes to see out a career that will take him to the World Cup next year. Latterly Waisale has become an impact player, who, at four inches under six feet and 80 kilos, must be the smallest of that ilk in world rugby. Think Jonah Lomu, Wendell Sailor. Sleight of hand rather than power will be Serevi's contribution when, on this occasion, he starts at Lansdowne Road on Sunday.

"Yes I'm 34. I know my way around," he says taking cover from the rain under the struts of Lansdowne Road's East stand. "Being involved in the team and being selected to come and play on this tour was a boost for me. I'm looking forward to performing well, whether I'm given 10 minutes or 15 minutes or go straight into the starting 15 but I will give my best to help the team."

Last week Serevi came off the bench and conjured a 70-yard touchdown against Wales at the Millennium Stadium. When he came in from the cold in November, 2001, to the 15-man game, he marked his return with 20 points in 20 minutes against an Italy Development XV and followed that with all of Fiji's 10 points in the Test match. He has been named player of the tournament an unmatched three times at the Hong Kong sevens and led Fiji to victory in the 1997 World Cup sevens.

"When the team qualified for next year's World Cup I was not in the squad but in France playing rugby with Mont de Marsen," he says. "When I was called again I was just happy to come in and help rugby at home. Since I started playing I have always played hard, always wanted to make people happy. Every time people come to watch they want to see something in the match and that's what keeps me going. I always train hard, try to entertain and be a better player.

"Look at my size. I am just a small man. If I don't train properly I get injured because I get caught by those big guys. So what I do is try to leave them behind as much as I can every time I get the ball. But I can feel them coming closer and closer."

Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll said yesterday Ireland will face a different task against Fiji and that the game will take on a different complexion to that of his side's win over Australia last week. At more than a decade younger, O'Driscoll is also seen as a match-breaker for Ireland and his ingenuity too can rework a rugby game and occasionally transcend it. Two masters, old and new.

"Yes, it is becoming harder for me to break defences. I've been playing in Europe for four or five years and I know that even in club rugby it is difficult to get through the line of defence. Teams now work on this a lot," he says.

"In France over the last few seasons all of the teams worked on their defence and the scores became 9-6 in championship matches. Then the coaches said to change again and make the game interesting and try to improvise a lot in attack. So teams worked on both and the scores became 40-35. This makes the game interesting.

"We just have to work hard in getting quick ball so that the opposition will be late in realigning," he says hopefully.

Fiji hopes hinge on greater discipline than they showed against Wales, a problem exacerbated by the calamitously late assembly of the side.

"I've been talking to the boys in the camp about being on time, being disciplined and how to prepare for the big matches," he says. "It is good for me to be able to help the team prepare for matches and for the World Cup."

Still softly spoken and modest, the language of Waisale's game remains louder than the man.