Australia Sevens coach Glen Ella has recalled three players from Australia's Commonwealth Games squad in a bid to challenge for the Hong Kong and Adelaide Sevens titles over the coming weeks.
Luke Inman, Ant Sauer and Shawn Mackay have all been selected in the 12-man squad to bolster both the size and experience of the team before the Hong Kong tournament next week and the inaugural Adelaide Sevens to be held at Easter.
Currently a member of the Waratahs Academy, Mackay was captain of the star-studded 2006 Commonwealth Games team and is now looking forward to a strong showing in Hong Kong before playing in front of a home crowd in Adelaide in just over a fortnight.
"I'm excited to be playing Sevens again and I believe Glen has put together a squad which is in form and has big-match experience," he said.
"The support during the Commonwealth Games was great and home support in Adelaide could be the difference between getting us over the line in a tough game or not."
Nick Cummins, Luke Milton, Tim Cornforth and captain Tim Atkinson have all been reselected after strong performances in San Diego, while Sydney-based Nathan Trist and James Lew have earned recalls after their appearances in Dubai and George late last year.
Vili Ratu, cousin of Wallaby Radike Samo, returns to the squad for the first time since the Singapore Sevens last season.
Also among the new faces are Brumbies speed merchant Tim Wright, who made his Super 14 debut against the Chiefs earlier in the year and Ben Lucas, a member of the 2006 world champion Under 19s squad.
Ella looks for experience to count
Ella said that the inclusion of Mackay, Sauer and Inman will give the team some added muscle and experience at what has been a traditionally tough tournament for Australia.
"These three players will help us in high pressure situations, which is something we have lacked so far this season," he said.
"I'm expecting a much better performance in Hong Kong and I want to put some more points on the board to give us a boost before Adelaide.
"In my experience, crowd support plays a big part in any Sevens tournament, so we're really looking forward to coming home and playing in front of a big crowd in Adelaide."
The team assembles in Sydney on Saturday and will fly out for Hong Kong on Monday.
Source: www.irbsevens.com
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