In form Aussie Sevens forward Sam Myers says he feels the team has evolved in 2016.
Myers has been one of the standouts for the Australian Men’s Sevens in recent tournaments and said his personal form had come improved after a conversation with new coach Andy Friend.
“When Andy first came in, he told me where he’d like to see me improve and (asked) where I’d like to improve and with my training, I’ve been working really hard at those few points and everything’s been paying off,” he said.
“Working around a well-moulded team does make your job a little easier.”
Myers said Friend had made a major impact on the squad, centring the team’s identity around two defining characteristics.
“Definitely before he came in we had a half dozen words that we think of what team we are,” he said.
“Since he’s come in we’ve got just two words that we stick by and we really try to abide by them because those two words other teams will say we are what they are.
“I just can’t tell you what they are at the moment.”
After a slow start to the World Series, Australia has picked up serious momentum over the last two tournaments, with their first back-to-back Cup final appearances in six years.
Myers said the team was feeling a confidence boost having claimed the scalps of a handful of major teams and gone within seconds of beating Fiji and New Zealand in their major finals.
“It’s a big turn of events because last year we just couldn’t pip those teams coming into the quarter-finals and the semi finals stages," he said.
"And the last few tournaments we’ve been going really well against them so everyone does get a big boost.
"We’ve put Australia back up in the top [four] teams and everyone knows Australia are a very hard team to play against so everyone thinks, 'what are we going to do next?'"
Myers attributes some of the lift to the injection of 15s players coming into the squad, headed by Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper, and increasing the competition.
Friend has previously said that if the longstanding Sevens players could put themselves in the top three, there would be little need to bring 15s players into the Olympic fold and Myers said it was extra motivation.
“There’s a lot of fit bodies at training and everyone does want to go to the next tournament on,” he said.
“No one wants to stay home and keep training, so you train to play.
“Everyone is lifting with the 15s players coming back. It’s pushing everyone up to that 110 per cent, which is where we all need to be coming up to Rio."
