New Australia Men’s Sevens coach Liam Barry is eager to take the squad to the next level as he prepares for his debut tournament in Perth.
Barry has inherited a program in a transition period after achieving an Olympic-best fourth-place finish in Paris.
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Three debutants have been used in 2024-25 already, with Hadley Tonga set to be the latest next week at HBF Park.
Barry is looking to issue in his own generation of exciting talent, similar to how former coach John Manenti uncovered Corey Toole and Darby Lancaster on his way to the 2021-22 World Series title.
“John (Manenti) and ‘Chucky’ (Stannard) have done a great job with the group (but) at the same time, we've lost (Nick) Malouf, Dietrich (Roache) to injury, Nathan (Lawson), Henry Paterson to injury and Corey Toole so there's five from the Olympics,” he explained to Rugby.com.au.
“We're not replacing them, but we just have to get better and learn quickly. They're a smart group, so they'll do that, but they're talented fellas we don't have around.
“It's my role (to get the best out of the younger guys). It's education and knowing how we work, how us as a management group work, and setting high standards and letting them try and go and achieve those.
“There are a couple of young guys coming in but there's a mid-tier group and a leadership group that can carry the baton, and hopefully our performances will improve as we go.”
The Barry surname is synonymous with the All Blacks, with the former backrower following father Kevin and grandfather Ned in pulling on the black jersey.
It adds another layer to the trans-Tasman rivalry with fellow KIwi Joe Schmidt turning the Wallabies around.
“It’s quite funny, because in New Zealand if I told them I was going to coach Japan or something, they’d all say great, but it's Aussie, so there's a lovely rivalry,” Barry said on the reaction to him joining an Australian team.
“I’m not alone, I've got a mate a couple of doors down who's got the big team, so look, it's just applying your role somewhere else.
“…Someone said, ‘Oh, what's it going to be like singing the national anthem?’. Well, we’d be in a final if we’re singing the national anthem, so that'd be brilliant.”
Barry’s focus remains on preparing the side for next week’s event but was looking to build connections with the Super Rugby Pacific clubs in order to boost his playing stocks
“We need to have a better relationship with Super, so they see us and the players see us as another pathway to go in and out, from Super to here, or from here to Super, not just one way,” he said.
“We need players that aren’t getting game time, those number 25 through to 35 at the Waratahs for instance, they see this as an opportunity to play on a world stage under immense pressure in front of 30,000 people, as it will help them with their rugby, and they get better in their skills, and that's transferable.”
