"I prefer 15s more than sevens. I see sevens as a good opportunity to get a hit-out before the 15s season begins. It's a good way to have a run around and keep the fitness levels up. At the same time it will be good to see where sevens can take me and one of my goals is to make the New Zealand wider training squad."
It's easy to picture Toala making a similar debut for the All Blacks Sevens at some stage during the next 12 months as what Blues loosie Akira Ioane did at the 2014 Wellington Sevens. Toala has similar attributes to Ioane in the sevens arena - a powerful fend, deceptive pace and brutal defence. Add his safe hands under the high ball and accurate long-range punts from 15s and his repertoire of skills is arguably better than Ioane's.
Not that the humble Toala is making such comparisons at this early stage in his career. He prefers to talk about the work he has been doing on his weaknesses, of which there aren't too many, and strength and conditioning since returning from the under-20s camp.
Toala reckoned the Hawke's Bay sevens squad is slowly getting to the level it should be at.
"It was a bit difficult at the start because we were all from different clubs. Everyone is getting to know each other a bit better now. We are still looking for the best combinations and this weekend will be a good test to see how well we can play with each other. I want to make the final cut for Rotorua as much as I do for the under-20s."
Although Hawke's Bay born and bred Toala has Samoan heritage and was approached by the Samoan under-20s coaching staff before the New Zealand under-20s last year. He knows once he plays for the New Zealand under-20s he is no longer eligible for Samoa.
"I've got a pretty good chance with New Zealand so we will aim for that goal. I'm just focusing on my rugby career and joining the police force is my back-up plan," he added.
Providing he can remain injury-free Toala, who signed a two-year contract with the Magpies last year, is unlikely to need that back-up plan for the next decade at least.
Hawke's Bay sevens coach Ellery Wilson was impressed with his team's two trainings this week.
"This weekend is all about playing as much as possible together to allow players to become more familiar with each other. By the end of the day each player should know which foot their teammate steps off the most and which way is their strongest pass. At the same time with two players to be cut before the nationals there is a bit of pressure on players to perform," Wilson said.
"Hopefully this will put pressure on me and Oz [Wilson's assistant and Magpies head coach Mark Ozich] when we have to select the 12."
Wilson pointed out there is plenty of competition in the forwards and also in the halves where Tamatea's New Zealand open men's touch rep Ash Robinson-Bartlett, NOBM's Johnny Lauano, Central's Cole Eru and 2016 and 2017 New Zealand Secondary Schools star Lincoln McClutchie are battling for two or three berths.
"We've got a young side with players who switch on more often than not. They have learnt when they don't want to switch on the gaps become much too big," he added.
Eliminating those mental drifts and improving their defence must be considered major work-ons following the Levin expedition.
The Hawke's Bay women's sevens team won't be playing at today's tournament but will be playing in next week's nationals. The Hawke's Bay men will meet Waikato at 10.40am and Tasman at noon in their pool games today.
The Hawke's Bay team is:
Ricky Hayes, Ash Robinson-Bartlett, Damien Scott, Lincoln McClutchie, Jesse King, Mitch Drew, Johnny Lauano, Sonny Lilo, Al Momoisea, Chris Johnston, Tyrone Dodd-Edwards, Timo Vaiusu, Teihana Brown, Danny Toala.
