Andy Friend: Demise of the sevens programme is a real shame

His posting before joining Connacht was as Australia’s men’s sevens head coach and when he is asked what his sense of where Irish rugby is right now, his bewilderment at the IRFU’s decision to shelve its men’s sevens programme is evident.

LIFE AFTER CONNACHT: Andy Friend has just completed a six-month stint as head coach of the Brumbies women’s programme, returning to the Canberra franchise whose men’s team he head coached between 2007 and 2011. Pic: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

TWO of the most significant periods of Andy Friend’s coaching career are set to collide in his hometown today when the Brumbies host a British & Irish Lions touring party containing three players whose careers he helped to mould during his five-year tenure as Connacht head coach.

That Canberra-born wing and former Brumbie Mack Hansen is part of the Lions matchday squad at GIO Stadium and non-playing prop Finlay Bealham is also from the city adds an extra level of excitement while Friend has already seen Bundee Aki earn Test recognition with the famous touring institution during his stint in Galway, on the 2021 tour to South Africa.