Rugby sevens: A star is born

Declan O'Donnell. Photo / Getty Images

Man-of-the-moment Declan O'Donnell is too young to remember the trail blazed by Glen Osborne, Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen from sevens stars to - in one case literal - giants of the 15-man game.

It's just as well. After a weekend which saw him light up the Wellington Sevens, increased expectation is the last thing the Paeroa-born Hamiltonian needs as he took off for the latest round of the world sevens circuit in Las Vegas.

Asked whether the weekend, which saw Gordon Tietjens' side triumph with a 29-14 final win over series leaders England, was a life-changing experience, O'Donnell was unequivocal.

"Definitely. The way I played and suddenly getting all these interviews. It's unreal," he said.

"After the game, listening to the crowd roaring, it was an unbelievable feeling I can't explain. It was too amazing.

"I've been getting told by everyone that this could kick-start my [15s] career."

O'Donnell scored 10 tries in the two-day tournament, including a hat-trick in the final, some of them spectacular solo efforts.

Being a flame-haired half-Maori with a very Irish name - his mother is of Tuwharetoa descent and his father is one of 14 siblings - is going to ensure he's easily noticed, but it's his talent that's truly eye-catching.

There are plenty of players who are 90kg-plus and are blessed with raw pace and power, but O'Donnell has the ability to beat players off both feet.

While those skills will transfer to the 15-man game, they are not as easy to implement as space and time is cut down.

Waikato coach Chris Gibbes said the 20-year-old had been on his radar for some time, having been part of their academy.

Athletically, O'Donnell had the goods, Gibbes said, but there were still parts of his game, either in midfield or on the wing, that needed work.

"He's very coachable," Gibbes said. "It shouldn't be too hard to iron out a few kinks. I've seen some big changes in him in the past few months."

O'Donnell had a good taste of fame in the weekend, but he's also had a brush with infamy. He, with brother Callum who plays for Taranaki, was involved in a late-night fracas outside a Hamilton bar last month.

Asked whether charges had been laid against O'Donnell, a Waikato police spokesman said an "unrelated" man had been charged with assault, but the police inquiry was ongoing.

Perhaps that's why the bright lights of Courtenay Place were shunned after the sevens victory.

"Afterwards, all the boys had their partners here so most of the boys stayed in the hotel. Some boys went out, but I stayed back because I was a bit tired and that," O'Donnell said.

It's probably valid.

Tietjens is a notorious taskmaster, though stories of his bootcamps tend to get retold, like the one about your grandfather walking 10 miles barefoot to school and back in the snow.

"When I went into the first camp I was scared about the trainings and how hard it was going to get. I'm kind of getting used to them now," O'Donnell says. "We'll see how my fitness goes this year."

Already, Gibbes likes what he sees.

"It's just his focus," Gibbes said. "He understands now if he applies himself he can really make something of himself in this game.

"He's always had the talent, now he's building the work ethic around it."