Friend keeps door open for young talent

Friend selected a 12-man squad for the Oceania Sevens Championship in Fij which will be played in Suva on November 11-12.

Friend has named a squad that includes a raft of young up and coming talent with only two players older than 22 years of age making the trip across the Pacific.

With one eye on re-building the Aussie Sevens team in the post 2016 Rio Olympic Games era, Friend has urged his young charges to take their opportunities.

"We are in a unique period for the Australian Men's Sevens team having been through a changing of the guard after Rio," said Friend.

"For a coach it's an exciting period as we move to create the building blocks for a strong team for the future.

"We have seen players really stand up and be counted at training but now is the time for that to translate to the field and we are looking forward to what the Oceania Rugby Sevens Championship has to throw at us."

Australian Men's Squad: John Porch (captain), Sam Croke, Bennett Leslie, Conor Mitchell, Tom Connor, Liam McNamara, Josh Coward, Mick Adams, Charlie Taylor, Alex Gibbon, Simon Kennewell, Sam Caslick.