Australia sevens coach Andy Friend to step down after the Commonwealth Games

AUSTRALIAN sevens coach Andy Friend confirmed he will step down after the Commonwealth Games as veteran Jesse Parahi was named the team’s third captain inside two drama-filled weeks.

AUSTRALIAN sevens coach Andy Friend confirmed he will step down straight after the Commonwealth Games as veteran forward Jesse Parahi was chosen to be the Aussie team’s third captain inside two drama-filled weeks.

Despite black cats having stalked their leadership group this year, Friend said the Australian sevens team were “blessed” to still Parahi to step up and lead the team at the Commonwealth Games.

The 28-year-old’s promotion came in horrible circumstances, with James Stannard having been ruled out due to a fractured skull from an alleged coward’s punch at the weekend.

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Andy Friend’s time with the Aussie team is nearly done. (Jenny Evans)

Stannard had only just been named captain himself, after replacing regular skipper Lewis Holland, who had been forced to withdraw two weeks ago due to a hamstring injury. Former skipper Ed Jenkins was forced to retire with injury in January, too.

Friend said Parahi had been, until this year, a quiet and reluctant leader but the tumult of the last few weeks had delivered the big forward a challenge to translate his lion-hearted play into captaincy as well.

Jesse Parahi now takes on the armband. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“We call him the Bull,” Friend said. “I know he is one of those blokes if you’re an opposition coach or player, you don’t want him on that team sheet.

“I know when we announced him as captain, our rivals will be thinking, damn, that means he’s playing big minutes.

“It’s funny how life presents these opportunities.

“Here he is now going to lead his country into a Comm Games. As sad as it is for “Chucky” and as sad as it is for Lewi, we are absolutely blessed to have a guy like Jesse Parahi step up.

He is going to be outstanding.”

James Stannard after being discharged from hospital. (Toby Zerna)

After the scary circumstances surrounding Stannard’s alleged assault and hospitalisation, Friend said the Australian team had gathered on Monday for the first time to talk through the event, park it and then push on training and Commonwealth Games preparation.

“In my experience, as long as you dwell on it, it remains topical,” Friend said.

“We are not being callous or being dismissive of what happened, but we can’t change it.

“You just have to say ‘it’s happened, we can’t change it’. What we can do is continue to show our affection and our care for Chucky, but we still have a job to do in 12 or 13 days time.

“You get used to rolling with the punches in sport, and in sevens in particular. You have to adapt.”

Friend is ready to move on. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Friend has selected a player to join the Commonwealth Games squad but due to the “bad luck” swirling around the team this year, he’ll hold off revealing his name until after he plays in Hong Kong this weekend.

Friend addressed his own future as well by confirming he would not see out his contract through to the World Cup in San Francisco in July. He will finish up after the Commonwealth Games.

Friend was told last month his contract wouldn’t be renewed and current Australian womens coach Tim Walsh was appointed as the new men’s coach.

“I have made the call that I don’t think it is in the team’s interest that I remain,” Friend said.

“A new coach has been announced and there is only two years now until Tokyo, so the quicker the new coach can get in there, and start to put his mark on things, the better. We saw from what the girls did, with their win in Rio, it was all about continuity and style of coaching.

“If I hang around another two months, that’s just prolonging in my view what should happen given the decision that was made. He can get in there and get started as quick as he can.”