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Although it was only last March, Wales’ miraculous Rugby World Cup Sevens win in Dubai is becoming a hazy memory. Coach Paul John has seen that squad ripped at the seams; his task now to chaperone a new breed of inexperienced players through the crazy maze of the Sevens World Series.

So far so good in 09/10. Wales have walked away with the Bowl in both Dubai and George and despite the invidious pools they have been placed in, they have acquitted themselves well against some of the major players on the circuit. Their task won’t get much easier in Wellington and Las Vegas facing some stiff examinations. So how is Paul John feeling about it all?

Robin Heymann caught up with the coach, a former Welsh international, to discuss central contracts, the increasing profile of Sevens and the perils of training in the snow...
 

Paul what was your overall assessment of Wales’ performances in Dubai and George?

We only had one player (Craig Hill) surviving from the World Cup and eight players who had never played IRB Sevens before so I was pleased how it went. We were competitive in the games against New Zealand and South Africa, being only two scores away. We were in there fighting in each game. The boys responded really well when placed in the Bowl and to come away with the two wins exceeded our expectations for this new and inexperienced squad.

What were the lessons learnt by your young squad?

The new boys really learned how important the contact area is. They were all a bit shocked when facing the likes of New Zealand and South Africa on how physical they were in this department. We cope reasonably well but it took a while. Although we have a tough pool in Wellington, if we can keep the same squad together we have to believe we can really compete.

How have you guys been coping with the inclement weather in the UK?

We haven’t been really able to train and it’s not ideal as we are meant to be training tomorrow. We haven’t trained as yet since the first two tournaments. Compare this to some of the other sides who have been playing in the likes of South America, whereas our boys don’t get to play in between these events.

Ideally would you like to see Wales play in tournaments in between World Series legs?

As it stands, Wales Sevens is all about development and providing players for regional and professional rugby. The new contracts are an agreement between clubs, regions, and us. In between tournaments it’s their time to develop their 15s experiences so we don’t have a fully professional outfit at the moment. We’re just happy we can get this core and joint contracts between clubs and regions at the moment.

You must have happy memories from Wellington from last year? Is it a tournament the team enjoys playing at?

It’s a tremendous tournament to play in as the atmosphere is electric. Even the atmosphere at the parade before the tournament was a big shock to the boys with so many on street and what a festival it is. 40,000 tickets have been sold in three minutes so it’s brilliant. Yes last season has happy memories as we obviously beat New Zealand then keeping the same squad for the World Cup.

You’ve been put in some tough groups to date in 09/10, how important is breaking into that top eight to get a good seeding?

It really is the aim to get into that top eight. As we’ve seen it’s so difficult to reach the mark from the Pools we’ve had so far. Having New Zealand and South Africa is difficult and then we go to Las Vegas and we have England and Argentina. But we have to have to believe and stop leaking tries and hopefully it will happen for us soon.

Are you happy with the structure of the IRB Sevens World Series?

Yeah i'm still fairly new to it all and I can't think anything I would change at the moment. The second of the back-to-back tournaments is tough for the boys but that's all part of it. It's an exciting Series with some fantastic tournaments.

As a former teacher yourself is it exciting to think of Sevens entering schools in China and Russia, now Sevens is an Olympic sport?

The sport will just grow, grow and grow. China, Russia, and Japan will be involved. Getting an opportunity to be on the National Curriculum in these counties is massive. With all the tournaments around the world you can see how popular it is and there was something like 19 broadcasters in Dubai or something. I hope Wales can do something and we can really raise the profile of the game here.

In six years time people will be competing for places to be part of the Olympics squad. It is the kids now who are 16,17 and under that even who will be involved and that is definitely something to aim for.

What are your thoughts on the UK National Sevens Series?

The Welsh boys have a history of playing for teams like the Samurai with Terry Sands who will give us a couple of spots to play in his teams. That’s always important for the guys who are in the fringe of our squad and we might need on standby. The more tournaments they can play in the better and by having an official series it is going to be great for people continuing to develop their Sevens and giving the game a push. It will be great for the game.

How can you see it working out with established 15-a-side players from Great Britain crossing over to play Sevens as the Olympics nears?

Well that’s the thing it’s a question we will be able to discuss more and more. Will your 15-a-side players be able to just turn up and play in a tournament? There are a lot of questions. Will it be a case of the players who are playing 15s having to play some sevens the year before? I’m not sure yet. It will be too difficult for players to step in on a one-off. It will be really interesting to see how it all works out.