Australia Men’s Sevens coach Liam Barry is hoping his fresh crop of debutants can hit the ground running in Dubai on Saturday.
The squad heads to the SVNS World Series opener in Dubai with three debutants, including former NSW Waratahs back Harry Wilson.
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This, along with young gun Wallace Charlie, who debuted at the last event in Los Angeles, has changed the profile of the squad as the former All Black looks for greater explosiveness.
“Last year we had the most rucks per try, and we had the most passes per try, meaning we don't mind going to work and working hard, but we probably didn’t have [enough] massively impactful and power players who can break the game open within one phase or with a step and go,” Barry told Rugby.com.au.
“We didn't have Dietrich Roache last year, so we want a bit of a power profile for our team, because we've got workers, we've got players who don't mind working, but it takes a big toll on a team.
“...We tried to look at all the club competitions to see who could transfer into a Sevens game and while you are doing a little bit of guesswork because they’re playing 15s, when we had our combine those guys came down, stood out and have done a great job, but the test comes on a World Series when they play their first game.”
It comes with a trio of key members on the sidelines to start the season, most notably co-captain Henry Paterson, who will not play this season with a knee injury.
Shawn Mackay Award winner James Turner (foot) and Michael Icely (shoulder) won’t feature until at least the North American leg of the Series.
The return of Dietrich Roache offsets their absence, who will be invaluable, along with the young players, after the Australians completed their pre-season with a series of games in New Zealand earlier in the month.
“We gave everyone a real crack during pre-season in New Zealand against two of the most physical sides in New Zealand and Fiji, so you can’t gauge too much into that,” he said.
“We’ve got to be patient [both with Dietrich and the young guys]. For some of them, New Zealand was the first time they’ve played against men, so the poor fellas got thrown straight into it, so we’ll be patient. It’ll be step-by-step, and it’s great for them; they’re coming on and doing really well."
Australia will take on New Zealand, Great Britain and Spain in the group stages.
