What might a worldwide sevens team of XVs stars look like, with Antoine Dupont and Michael Hooper making the jump to sevens in time for the Olympics? Two Cents Rugby looks into it.
*The athletes chosen below are XVs players who have not competed in international sevens.
Although he has never played international sevens, the Pumas flanker has a background in the sport, which shows in his play. He was a member of the 2018 Youth Olympics gold medal squad. Gonzalez as a sevens front-rower, with his power and talent with the ball in hand, would be a wonderful fit, being quick around the pitch and mobile for a guy standing over 190cm tall.
Wales’ Jac Morgan
Morgan has been one of the greatest performances in Welsh rugby in 2023, and he is one of those rare species who possesses a true all-round ability set. Nothing surprises the flanker when it comes to breaking tackles, setting up tries with offloads, pinching ball at the breakdown, or booting 50:22s. Definitely mobile, with plenty of X-factor for sevens.
Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe
Van der Merwe, another XVs player with a sevens background, won a gold medal for South Africa at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival. It’s been a decade, but the big wing, with his amazing ability to break tackles and deceptively quick movement, would be a difficult guy to stop if he had a head of steam going.
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