WITH ONE WIN and a 12th-place finish last weekend, Ireland Men’s Sevens squad didn’t exactly experience the dream start to the tournament they spent four years working their way into.
Still, after their rapid rise through the ranks while leaving nations like Montenegro, Russia and Germany in their wake, there is something almost refreshing about watching this side play with the difficulty setting flicked from novice to elite as they take on powerhouses like Australia and the USA.
Now, much like their colleagues in 15-a-side, Ireland’s men are facing into the second portion of a back-to-back. Hot on the heels of their chastening World Series debut in Dubai, Ireland men have joined the sport’s leading lights making the long trip south to Cape Town for another point on what promises to be a steep learning curve.
Each point is a foothold for Anthony Eddy’s side on their way to the overriding goal this season: Olympic Qualification.
While Jordan Conroy scorched his way into the highlights with a sensational seven tries for his side, there were positives to pick out across the squad for Ireland. Among them, Adam Leavy’s distribution and eye for a gap helped to pave the way for bouts of Irish pressure. The former Connacht academy man, speaking to The42 before setting out for Dubai, is intent on banking plenty more experience through the World Series before the defining moment of the Olympic qualifier comes around in June
“We tried to solidify our culture and goals for the year,” explains Leavy, the younger brother of Leinster flanker Dan, “our main one, building towards the Olympic qualifier in the summer.
We’ll have 10 legs of the world series behind us, putting us in a really good position. Mainly for the young lads coming in, it’s trying to drive those cultures and get everyone behind it. So we’re all on the same page and working towards the same goal.”
Sevens was not on Leavy’s radar when he emerged out of a sensational St Michael’s side featuring James Ryan, Ross Byrne, Nick McCarthy and Cian Kelleher. While studying in UCD, he was invited to play in a side to compete in the Limerick Club 7s tournament in Thomond Park.
“That was my first taste of Sevens,” Leavy says five years on, “it’s come full circle now.”
Full circle, because it was no Road to Damascus moment on the Cratloe Road. That weekend actually served to bring him a new opportunity in 15s. Nigel Carolan – now Connacht assistant coach, then their academy director – was more than an interested spectator.
“It was a bit of a baptism of fire. There were a few 15s lads thrown together, we had one or two training sessions beforehand. We were blown out of the park in our first two games. It was kind of trial and error. We found what we were good at and found our way towards the end of the tournament.
“I like to think I made a good impression and Nigel felt the need to give me a call after it and have me down to Connacht. It worked out well in the end.”
Brought to Connacht initially for a sub-academy slot before two years in the academy proper, Leavy thoroughly enjoyed his time in the new environs of Galway. Not only the team dynamic at the Sportsground, but outside the bubble too as he began an Economics degree in NUIG.
The fruition of his hard work on the academic front only came about last month as he celebrated his graduation in Galway. However, the last two years were somewhat complicated by his relocation. Sevens had helped take Leavy to Connacht to play 15-a-side. And now the 15s had given him a platform to revisit Sevens with the national setup in Dublin.
“It was my final year academy and I had an email come in – same as is happening for lads now who have been called in for training sessions.
“I liked it straight away. It was different to the Limerick Club 7s where we were just thrown in. I started to get my head around how it works and the style of play. I feel like it suited me. Following that opportunity, I was pushed towards going full time.
“It worked out well in the end. I’m still here.”
He’s doing more than just hanging in there. Two years on from making his debut in Exeter, Leavy has become one of the key players in Ireland’s squad as they set out on their maiden World Series run.
With studies ongoing after he commenced a masters in strategic management in the Smurfit Business School, Leavy can often be found nestled away in his room at the books.
He insists he doesn’t mind, all part of preparing himself for a life beyond rugby. But in a tight turnaround week between fixtures on different continents there is serious difficulty in picking and choosing moments to refresh body and mind. Particularly when the glamorous destinations on the Sevens circuit offer the chance to soak up spectacular sights.
Some of Leavy’s team-mates this week witnessed those sights from the vantage point of a helicopter ride. And things will get no less choppy when Leavy and co kick off the weekend’s action tomorrow at 14.37 against Australia before Saturday takes them into clashes with Samoa and Kenya.
Tough tasks, but that’s what this squad have been working for.
Ireland Men’s squad for Cape Town 7s
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock/Leinster)
Adam Leavy (Lansdowne)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College)(captain)
Greg O’Shea (Shannon)
Harry McNulty (UCD)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries)
Jack Kelly (Dublin University)
John O’Donnell (Lansdowne)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s College)
Liam Turner (DUFC/Leinster)
Peter Maher (Old Belvedere)
Bernard Jackman joined Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell in studio to chat about the remarkable John Cooney and the Ireland captaincy.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
And this is the club that people on here defend. Wonder what religion the dole scroungers from Govan think their top scorer is. Can’t see Kris Boyd being as vocal on this one
@Roberts Mel: That’s a fact! You’d need to have a long hard look at yourself if your support or defend that club in any way, shape or form. Xenophobic bunch of knuckle draggers.
@Roberts Mel: you are just as bad as them you know. Condoning the coin throwing the other day. Always the victim
@Joe: please point our where I condoned the coin throwing? I never even mentioned it! So how did I condone it?
Well done Steve Clarke. Needs more players and officials who aren’t from Celtic calling out that crap for what it is.
@Cian Nolan: the only way anything will ever be done is if players and coaches keep highlighting it to the media. Good on Steve Clarke and Kris Boyd for calling out what he was subjected to last week.
@The Bloody Nine: “Good on Kris Boyd” Haha that’s a laugh.. He’s a bitter Rangers fan that forgets another football club is actually paying his wages. He’s been talking Rangers up all season even though is plays for Killie..
@David Garland: I can’t believe you think sectarian abuse and coin throwing is ok because of what team a guy supports. It’s wrong no matter who it’s aimed at.
@The Bloody Nine: Didn’t see David mention anything about coin throwing or sectarian abuse never mind David saying it was okay for these things to happen. He just made reference to Kris Boyd and how nice of a fella he is.
@Roberts Mel: why is telling me how nice Kris Boyd is? I don’t envisage any scenario where I’ll be meeting the lad so his personality is irrelevant to me, as is who he supports or pays his wages.
@The Bloody Nine: Show me where I condoned coin throwing and show us how Kris Boyd has been a victim of Sectarian abuse? Also my point is Kris Boyd is quick to talk up Rangers telling everyone Celtic are in crisis and they’re is a split in the dressing room while all the time he’s playing for Killie.. As I said he’s a bitter Rangers Fan who never comes out giving out about the sectarian chanting coming from Ibrox..
@David Garland: he was called a fat orange b*****d by the Celtic fans
@Anthony Connery: well they ain’t lying
@David Garland: my apologies David if I misunderstood your comment. However, I can’t see how it’s relevant to my point that the more people experience sectarianism in football the more it needs to be spoken about and highlighted. And that’s regardless of who you play for or support. I’m at a loss as to why you’re arguing with me about this!
Normally at this stage of the comments we’d have someone on blaming the Celtic fans for the huns sectarianism.. With Neil Lennon gone I suppose they have to get someone else to racially abuse.. But clearly Sevco don’t know the meaning of the word “Fenian”
Rte have a lot to answer for the showing of “British” games when the english teams were banned from Europe. I know quite a few lads who are rangers fans from that influence. All rangers games were shown live as a substitute for the uk games.
@Trevor Beacom: any Irish person supporting The Rangers clearly has some sort of mental health problem.
@Ciaran Rice: You get an awful lot of Irish people who will support them out of spite because they can’t get their head around Irish people supporting Celtic, that’s how idiotic some football fans are in this Country.. The same people think nothing of supporting Clubs like Chelsea who we all know love Rangers and the UVF
@Ciaran Rice: Knew a guy at work who used to wear sevco shirt and England one during internationals. Was done purely for attention and the wind-up. Would not go out in public dressed like that, though.
@Ciaran Rice: Yea I know a few Irish Rangers supporters and they ain’t mental.
Ive been a long time Celtic supporter neigh on 55 years and ive witnessed plenty sectarian stuff in the Old “Jungle” which is probably well before your time.
That said Rangers have an ultra toxic lot that are very vocal.
Is Steve Clarke not a Rangers fan.. Can’t understand why they called him that
@ColmD: Clarke and his entire family are Celtic fans.
@Ciaran Rice: I didn’t know that.. Like him even more now..
@Ciaran Rice: Yes he was touted as a Celtic Manager at one point.
@Nick Condon Sen: he’ll be the next Celtic manager when Brendan leaves I’d say.
@Ciaran Rice:
The newest club in Scotland , reminds us all of a previous old one , same sectarian dribble , coming from bitter begrudgers .
Huns
I wonder do Rangers fans watch Braveheart and think” thank god we got William Wallace. Long life longshanks”
Seriously Rangers fans have to be the most confused idiotic bunch.. they havnt the slightest clue of their own national identity or heritage