AFTER FIVE YEARS in cold storage, Ireland’s international Sevens scene will be defrosted this weekend as Anthony Eddy takes a 12-man Wolfhounds squad to compete in the GB 7s tournament in Edinburgh.
The full internationals are still a week away, but this three-part tournament is an invaluable first step along a road towards placing Ireland’s Sevens programme on the same playing field as their peers in the full-sided game.
“I’ve never played a Sevens tournament in my life, so it’s going to be pretty tough I presume,” says Tom Daly, who comes in to a summer of Sevens on the back of playing a starring role in Lansdowne’s Ulster Bank League success.
Having made his name as a goal-kicking, ball-carrying centre for Ireland under 20s in 2013, these days, the Carlow man is on the professional pathway within Leinster’s academy. Yet this move to the shortened form of rugby union should not be seen as a deviation, instead it’s an opportunity to hone skills in an unfamiliar setting.
“I’ve been doing a little bit of work on the drop-goals,” Daly says as an example, “I’ll probably focus on it more now that the 15s season’s over. I’ll have to do a bit more work on it.
You don’t think it’s going to help, but doing these things under pressure obviously helps greatly. And in the 15s game I’ll be able to step up quicker now to hit drop-goals or drop-offs — drop-offs are such a big thing in Sevens, to get possession back.”
Daly is joined by 11 more young, promising rugby talents for tomorrow’s tournament, all of whom have come through a rigorous selection process and talent identification days.
We imagine that going in to an open call with aspiring Sevens internationals without a career and reputation on the line would be nerve-wrecking. However, Daly and his fellow academy prospects Adam Byrne (also in this weekend’s squad) and Ian Fitzpatrick met the expectations and made the cut.
As a result, the trio have been seen trudging back out to the playing field while their team-mates embark on rest time. Altered conditioning and extra hours is the price you pay. Playing a summer sport means the players must be ready for high temperatures as well as the high intensity that Sevens promises.
“The trials here a few months ago were the first time I ever played Sevens and, my God, it was a shock to the system.
“But hopefully all the work I’ve been doing over the weeks with Anthony [Eddy] and the lads… the camps have been very high intensity, training camps have been very tough.
“We’ll be playing in hot conditions, but hopefully we’ll be prepared. As we play more we’ll get more and more used to it and eventually we’ll be flying fit and ready for it.”
IRFU performance director David Nucifora has set the expectancy level reasonably low for Eddy’s squad and the newly formed Sevens setup. Olympic qualification is an aspirational goal, but nobody will lose their head if they fall just short. Ireland start out on a treacherous road that includes pool fixtures against Turkey and Belarus next weekend in the Division C tournament in Bosnia and Herzogovina, but the major goal this summer is reaching the Rugby Europe Olympic tournament in July.
The step-by-step route to short and medium term success ought to suit the young cohort of Irish players who are already working in professional environments. The first time out will be special though, after months of training and preparation, every last player is just itching to get out in the open with a green jersey.
“I want to do well here, showcase what I can do on a bigger stage and represent my country,” Daly says with an envious eye on the rest of the world’s rugby fraternity.
“We’re starting from the bottom in Division C in Europe, but I think next year or the year after we can qualify for the European Grand Prix. If we can win that we go in to the World Series.
“If you look at the teams in the World Series, Ireland is the only big rugby nation that doesn’t have a team in it. There’s obviously talent here. We’re one of the top four countries in the world in rugby union.
“There are players here who can definitely excel on the Sevens scene. Hopefully by the time we get up there we’ll all be fully [developed] Sevens players.”
For now, they are still fledglings. But fledglings with the skills and hunger to push Ireland into the sunlight of Sevens rugby at last.
Ireland Wolfhounds (GB7s Edinburgh, 30 May)
Adam Byrne (UCD/ Leinster)
Aaron Cairns (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Shane Layden (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Gearoid Lyons (Young Munster /Munster)
Diarmaid McCarthy (Young Munster/ Munster)
David McGuigan (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Harry McNulty (UCD/ Leinster)
Luke O’Dea (Shannon/ Munster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne/ Leinster)
Ciaran Wardle (Exiles)
Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)
Fixtures
v Welsh Charitables (10.51 am)
v Forces Exiles (12.24 pm)
v Samurai (2.12 pm)
(Knockout stages to follow from 3pm)
