Nemani Nadolo

The outside-back joined Tigers in the summer of 2020 and has made nine appearances and scored five tries for Leicester since debuting during the recommenced 2019/20 campaign.

 Nadolo has made 30 Test appearances for Fiji, including starring for the Pacific Island nation in the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup last season.

The Flying Fijians ended a difficult six week tour with a commanding 38-24 victory over Georgia in Edinburgh, with eight players making their test debut and returning veteran Nemani Nadolo bagging a hat-trick in what proved to be their only match of the tournament following a Covid-19 outbreak within the squad.

Fiji Rugby CEO John O'Connor said it was just reward after a trying period for the players, who spent two week in isolation in their hotel rooms while tests against Portugal, France, Italy and Scotland were called off.

"We are a community-based society," he said.

Despite having no option but to see France, Italy and Scotland all awarded 28-0 bonus-point group wins, Nadolo and co are still clinging to the hope that they will eventually have a sufficient clean bill of health and will be able to participate in a December 5 play-off match, most likely against Georgia at Murrayfield.  

Nadolo, who quit test rugby last year, is back in the squad after a successful switch to Leicester proved he was still a defence busting force.

Cotter, who has yet to meet up with his players, selected a squad of 32 players for a camp on 25 October after spending the last while watching videos of European matches while also keeping tabs on those operating in New Zealand, where he has been based during the pandemic.

After a defeat at Exeter and a 38-16 home thrashing at the hands of Bath, the Tigers fielded a strong side and they just did enough to come away with the four points.

David Williams scored their only try with George Ford adding the conversion and two penalties.

Ben Meehan touched down for Irish, which was converted by Paddy Jackson and enabled the visitors to collect a losing bonus point.

Ellis Genge and Tom Youngs return after missing Saturday’s fixture and are joined in the front row by fellow international Dan Cole, who came off the bench in the weekend home defeat to Bath. 

Tigers academy graduates Harry Wells and Calum Green make up the second row with Hanro Liebenberg included at blindside flanker for his first start since the Premiership resumed. He is alongside Tommy Reffell and Jordan Taufua.

A powerful runner, clinical finisher and accurate goal-kicker, former Fiji powerhouse Nadolo will move to Welford Road ahead of the 2020-21 season.

The prolific Nadolo, who can play on the wing or as a centre, has racked up over 1,000 points in domestic rugby and scored in excess of 150 professional tries.

Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said after landing the 32-year-old: "It's certainly one to get excited about, no matter who you are.

"He's a star of the international game and a player that crowds all over the world have been able to enjoy see play.

Nadolo, who plays for French Top 14 club Montpellier, described a recent experience with a fan where he claims he was called a monkey.

"I'm out in Montpellier with my family who came from overseas to c [sic] me," Nadolo said on Twitter.

"[One] supporter who is drunk said to me 'not bad for a monkey to win the game for MHR in Clermont'. Now he was drunk but wow."

The Fijian winger said racism in rugby hasn't changed.

"The worst thing is they attack you when u out having a good time with your family!" he said.

RNZI reports Nadolo, who is leaving the Crusaders for Montpellier at the end of the season, was not included in Todd Blackadder's squad for the trip to South Africa.

Nadolo suffered the injury in the Crusaders' 35-15 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The giant Fijian was cited for his tackle on Brumbies scrum-half Tomas Cubelli in the Crusaders 40-14 win in Canberra on Sunday.

Competition judicial officer Chris Morris initially gave Nadolo a two-week suspension but said he also needed to take into account World Rugby's push to eliminate such dangerous tackles from the game.

“As such, I found it necessary to add two additional weeks to the recommended sanction,” he said in a statement.

Nadolo will miss Super Rugby matches against the Queensland Reds, Otago Highlanders and NSW Waratahs, as well as a club game