Aussies name squad for Glasgow
Australia Sevens head coach Geraint John has named an extended 14-man squad for the penultimate leg of the 2014/15 Sevens World Series at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow on May 9-10.
Alex Gibbon has been recalled to the squad for the first time since the Port Elizabeth leg in December, while Lewis Holland and James Stannard return after recovering from muscle injuries that ruled them out of Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Bradley Wilkin, meanwhile, is unavailable for the final two legs of the season as part of a mutual agreement between the Australian Sevens program and the Under-20 program that allows the Queenslander to play in the forthcoming Oceania Rugby Junior Championship and the World Rugby Under 20 Championships in June.
Australia are currently fifth in the Sevens World Series – nine points behind fourth-placed England – with two legs remaining on the calendar. The top four countries, along with hosts Brazil, will qualify automatically for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Teams that finish outside of the top four will go through to an Olympic Regional Qualifying Tournament in November.
John said the returning players had made it hard for him to finalise his squad with the abundance of talent available to him.
"The camp is in good spirits and we've prepared well since returning from Tokyo which has made my final squad particularly difficult to choose.
"It's great to have the experience of James [Stannard] and Lewis [Holland] back in the fold but I'm delighted to welcome Alex Gibbon into the party that will travel to Glasgow. Naturally, Alex has been frustrated at his lack of playing time this calendar year but he has shown the right attitude in training and he performed well at the National Championships in March so he has deserved his opportunity.
"Obviously Tokyo was a disappointment for us, but we can now only affect the future. There's no doubt we have a tough draw in Glasgow but it's a challenge we are looking forward to meeting head on. England are in good form after winning in Japan last time out, while France will be hungry to continue their rapid improvement. Russia will be joining the series next year and will be eager to show what they can do on the world stage," said John.
Australia's fixtures in Glasgow:
vs England, Pool A
vs France, Pool A
vs Russia, Pool A
Australia Sevens sqad (two to be ommitted):
Cameron Clark, Tom Cusack, Allan Fa'alava'au, Con Foley, Pama Fou, Alex Gibbon, Lewis Holland, Greg Jeloudev, Ed Jenkins, Tom Lucas, Nick Malouf, Sam Myers, Jesse Parahi, James Stannard.
