This morning Naholo rang her and asked if she would drive him to the New Plymouth airport to fly to Wellington. He didn't say why - but she knew it could only mean the flying Taranaki and Highlanders winger had beaten all the odds and made it into the All Blacks.
"When I asked, he laughed."
Did she have any doubts about the traditional medicine treatment?
"I just didn't know. Bear in mind, it was not a bad break. He was never in plaster or a moonboot or anything. He was on crutches for a short time and told to rest."
She says the leg has healed well. She's not sure if Naholo - she calls him "Wais" - has been running on it, but knows he has kept up with his gym work.
Naholo has been one of Colleen's boys for all of the five years she has held the PDM job at the Taranaki Rugby Union.
She has 56 to look after, guiding them in life skills, including employment (for those not yet on contract), budgeting, adult education, getting a driver's licence, and preparing for life after rugby.
"Showing them how to wash tomato sauce out of a shirt - had to do that once."
Employed by the players' union, she worked for many years as a veterinary nurse, but then decided to change her life and train in adult education and teaching literacy skills, which she does two days a week at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki polytech.
The other three days, she's at the rugby union headquarters beneath the eastern stand at Yarrow Stadium.
Naholo undertook his treatment in early August at the hands of the Isei Naiova, the doctor at Nadroumai - his remote village 6km inland from the south-western coast of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu.
Lasting eight days, it involved the village doctor binding the injury with leaves whose exact nature has not been revealed. Naholo had two previous leg injuries successfully treated with the same method in past seasons.
The natural anti-inflammatory qualities of at least half a dozen Pacific plants are the subject of research by scientists, who have been recording their impacts on local medicine for more than a century.
One called kalolo is a possible candidate for Naholo's treatment. Other plants used in Fiji on broken bones and fractures include shrubs, vines, creepers and weeds.
Although he was more or less written off as a chance for the World Cup - after suffering the break to his fibula in his sole test for the All Blacks against Argentina in Christchurch on July 17 - after his return from Fiji on August 14, the rugby union put him under wraps for tests.
Not long afterwards, coach Steve Hansen began to hint there might be a chance of him making the team for the third match of the preliminary round of the World Cup.
Taranaki coach Colin Cooper is not entirely surprised at Naholo's remarkable recovery.
"I have seen this sort of thing before in my coaching career - it kind of demonstrates the power of the mind, in combination with medical treatment."
He was delighted for Naholo - and his other All Black, Barrett - who he said came to Taranaki after indifferent experiences with the Blues and the Sevens."
He and Seta [Tamanivalu, the Taranaki centre] weren't allowed to work, so they put in a lot of extra time when they came here working in the gym and on their strength and skills. They did a lot of work with skills coach Willy Rickards last year."
He said Naholo got more and more confidence as last season progressed and with the extra training the result came.
"We're excited for him - and very proud."
Cooper has seen similar "miracles" - although he doesn't use that word - with players suffering knee injuries.
"Some with particular knee injuries can't play without a long recovery time, others with the same can get back on the field in a shorter time."
He paid tribute to Barrett for his enthusiasm in returning to play yesterday's ITM Cup match against Taranaki
- NZME
