Sliding doors moment that ensured Wallabies star Nawaqanitawase wasn't lost to Fiji ahead of World Cup

In another world, Mark Nawaqanitawase would have been wearing the black and white strip representing the Flying Fijians this weekend against the Wallabies.

While the flying winger has been the breakout star of Australian rugby over the past 12 months, it was only 18 months ago the rising back was weighing up a sensational allegiance change by joining Fiji.

After being outside the Waratahs’ top 30 players and given a blunt truth about where he was at in his career by coach Darren Coleman, Nawaqanitawase, a Junior Wallabies star at the under-20s world championship in Argentina who scored a double on Super Rugby debut across the ditch against the Crusaders, started exploring his options.

“Nothing was stamped that I was going to do it … that was one of those moments where for a split second I was thinking of going down that path,” Nawaqanitawase told reporters on Monday just moments after primary school children at Ecole Elementaire Molina sang him happy 23rd birthday.

“I’m grateful for how things have turned out.”

Mark Nawaqanitawase says he’s “grateful” to be at his first World Cup for the Wallabies. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

A prodigious talent who continued to develop right throughout his teenage years, the knock on Nawaqanitawase early on was about his lack of physicality, particularly in defence.

It led to the winger dropping down the pecking order at the Waratahs after his magnificent debut under Rob Penney in 2020.

But after starting the season outside the Waratahs’ matchday 23, Nawaqanitawase got an opportunity and never looked back.

Nonetheless, despite his promise he was once again set to miss Australia A selection until Jordan Petaia was a late withdrawal from the program, which allowed Nawaqanitawase to get the last place on the plane to Japan.

Despite high-profile recruit Suliasi Vunivalu starting, Nawaqanitawase, coming off the bench, did more in a 20-minute cameo against a Japanese XV than any other player to instantly get on the national selection radar.

Nawaqanitawase has made every post a winner since, surviving the great Italian flop, standing up against the Irish, scoring a second-half double against Wales, taking Argentina and New Zealand on through the middle and then scoring twice in as many weeks against France and Georgia at the Stade de France to kick start the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign.

Mark Nawaqanitawase has gone from fringe Waratahs back to World Cup-scoring Wallaby. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

So should Australian rugby be indebted to Dave Rennie for giving Nawaqanitawase a crack?

“I’m grateful for the opportunity he gave me. In terms of that decision, that was before (he selected me). That was more so during club time at Tahs,” Nawaqanitawase said.

Even still, better late than never and Rennie’s decision to back the athletically gifted winger proved to be one of the former Wallabies coach’s great selection calls.

Ten months on from his Wallabies debut, Nawaqanitawase is one of the rockstars in Eddie Jones’ side.

Has it changed him?

“I’d say, I’ve really enjoying it at the moment. I’m really enjoying my footy,” he said.

“I’m in France, playing footy, it’s pretty cool.

“It just made me realise how great the game is; the atmosphere, the passion they have over here, it gives you that excitement about the game and makes you realise how big the sport is and how fun it is to play, and there’s a lot of people out there that love it.

“It just makes you want to play even more.”  

Mark Nawaqanitawase’s rise has been meteoric. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Is Nawaqanitawase trying to keep a lid on it?

“I wouldn’t even consider it a thing,” he said. “I’m just trying to have fun and win some games. I’m just trying to do me.”

Now, having lined up against the Drua on several occasions, he is in line to take on the Island Nation this Sunday (Monday, 1:45am AEST) in a match that is do-or-die for Fiji following their heartbreaking and controversial 32-26 loss to Wales.

Nawaqanitawase knows the storm about to hit the Wallabies, with Fiji’s campaign resting on a positive outcome against the Wallabies.

“It was a great game to watch, right to the last minute. Very exciting,” Nawaqanitawase said.

“Obviously, a Fijian team, all the flair that they show. I think they had 1,000 run meters during the game, so it shows how much they’re carrying the ball.

“Credit to Wales, they defended well and they managed to get the win.”

Nawaqanitawase, who has been used brilliantly in the air over the past month, said the Wallabies won’t change their plan drastically despite the Fijians being one of the most physical and explosive sides in world rugby, with backs Semi Radradra and Josua Tuisova two of the globe’s biggest midfielders.

“It won’t change anything. We’ve got to back ourselves in what we do. Making sure we’re focusing on ourselves,” he said.

“We’ve obviously had our game and we’ve got things to improve on that we want to work on. We’ll have certain things that we will change for the game, but for the most part, we’re just worried about ourselves.”

As for needing to tighten up defensively, Nawaqanitawase said it was something every nation would have to do against the Fijians.

“I think any team coming up against Fiji is going to have to tighten up a few things,” he said.

“We’ll want to tighten up and make sure that we’re connected because they’re going to bring a lot of mystery. They can do anything out of nothing. We’ve just got to make sure we’re connected and ready for a couple of things.”