A win over Fiji handed Australia its third consecutive top three finish in a World Series tournament and the win will be a major psychological boost for the Aussies as well, Lewis Holland says.
The 19-12 win was their first over Fiji in the 2015-16 season and came from a squad that included seven players with fewer than five World Series caps coming into the Vancouver tournament.
Their win means Australia has beaten all bar one of the top sides from last season, with New Zealand the only outlier and Holland said it would give the side plenty of confidence heading into the back end of the World Series.
“On both sides of the park I think it has an effect,” he said.
“For our boys it’s a massive confidence boost and it will also have a bit of an effect on Fiji, in their minds, when they come up against us and they know what we can do.
“A win's a win and to play against one of the top three teams to get on top of them shows good things.”
With three weeks until the Hong Kong Sevens, Holland said the team had simply to focus on themselves.
“We’ll have some new players come in for the next tournament we’ll need to be on the same page, identifying our playing style and sticking to that,” he said.
“When we play good footy that’s what we’re doing. We don’t have to solve the whole world's problems just our own and we’ll be focusing on that.”
Three consecutive Cup semi-final appearances, including two Cup final berths, have helped inject extra experience into the young group and Holland said they would continue to work on that ahead of Hong Kong.
“The pressure moments, just the little one percenters in the game that when it’s tight it can go one of two ways,” he said.
“We’ll work on that through training, making decisions under fatigue.
“Also working hard off the ball (is key) it’s something you don't really notice but if you do one or two good things right the game can go your way.”
Holland’s faith in himself is also growing, as he continues to string together stand out performances, seemingly putting an injury-riddled past behind him.
“I’m getting my speed back and backing myself more, it’s more of a mental game and that’s starting to come back and that’s the way I like to play.
“I’m doing what I like to do, running the ball, so I’ll keep doing that.
“Sometimes it pays off and sometimes you make mistakes trying to take the boys forward.
“Through my position, it’s a pretty good pay off if you get it right.”
Holland was a late withdrawal from the third place playoff with a hamstring concern aggravated by playing on a harder artificial turf surface, but said it was a precautionary move.
The Aussie Men’s Sevens return home on Wednesday and head straight back into training for April’s Hong Kong Sevens, with four legs of the tour left.
