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Australian winger John Grant provided selectors and spectators with an incredible try-scoring showing during the final of the inaugural Noosa International Sevens at Sunshine Beach yesterday.

The towering winger scored six tries for the Australian team (Aussie Thunder) in the 55-10 demolition of the Sunshine Coast Stingrays.

“He's very raw. He hasn't played a lot of sevens but he's got all the tools,” Aussie Thunderbolts coach Michael O'Connor said. 

“He's been given a sevens contract for next year and will be with us for the eight (IRB Sevens Series) tournaments, which is exciting.”

Grant was recruited by the Thunderbolts after topping the try-scoring charts in the Sydney rugby premiership this year when he starred for Eastwood.

“Noosa was really just my second one (sevens tournament). I think I got five or six tries in the final, I guess I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” Grant said.

“Playing back to back tournaments has helped us form some good combinations on the field and the team’s really starting to gel ahead of the Sevens World Series.

“The level of competition has overall been pretty good and it’s great preparation for Dubai.”

Greg Jeloudev opened the scoring for the national side but then Grant ran amok, capturing four tries to propel the visitors to an unassailable 31-0 lead at half-time.

He added another five-pointer after the break before the Stingrays struck back to the delight of the crowd.
Pace ace Tom Cox produced a clean pair of heels to race 60m and score. He bagged another try soon after, collecting a long-range pass from James Radley to touch down and reduce the margin to 41-10.

But David Burn and Grant added two more tries for Australia to break a five-game winning streak from the Sunshine Coast.

The Stingrays caused a sensation by toppling the highly-fancied Queensland Reds in a pool match on Saturday before beating Graduates in the quarter-final and Queensland Premier Grade preliminary final rivals Sunnybank in the semi-finals yesterday. The Reds, meanwhile, were dumped out of the tournament with a 27-5 quarter-final loss to Australia.

SCOREBOARD
NOOSA SEVENS

Quarter-finals
Aussie Thunderbolts 27 bt Queensland Reds 5
Bombers 24 bt Australian Rugby Legends 15
Sunnybank RC 19 bt Brothers RC 12
Sunshine Coast Stingrays 27 bt Graduates 12
Semi-finals
Aussie Thunderbolts 27 bt Bombers 7
Sunshine Coast Stingrays 19 bt Sunnybank 12
Grand final
Aussie Thunderbolts 55 bt Sunshine Coast Stingrays 10