'Atmosphere incredible despite crowds' - Tim Walsh

Australia faced off against New Zealand at day three of the Oceania Sevens at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Australian Men's Sevens coach Tim Walsh has said that the team's facility in Tokyo is set to be 'incredible' even in the absence of crowds.

Walsh, who coached the Australian Women's Sevens team to Gold in 2016, is no stranger to the Olympics and was singing the praises of Japan as his men's team continue to get settled in.

"It's a beautiful facility, the surface is fast, which suits our gameplay, and the atmosphere, despite being empty, is incredible," Walsh said, following the sides venue familiarisation.

"Logistics is the key to any Sevens setup, whether it's the World Series or the Olympics and this one is well done."

The venue, which hosted Matilda's opening match against New Zealand, will now switch to a Rugby format ahead of the men's competition kicking off on July 26 against Argentina.

Australia will base themselves out of the stadium for the three days of competition, opting to utilise the facilities on offer there instead of returning to the village.

"The venue is very convenient, comfortable, and a great way to spend three days of the Olympics," Walsh added.

"When you're on the World Series, you play in some incredible places; they're always top-notch, and Tokyo stadium is no different,"

As the team continue to finalise their preparation, they'll be staring down the barrel of a newly named Tropical Storm Nepartak, which is set to bring heavy rains on day two of the competition.

However, Walsh quickly dismissed any impact caused by the weather, saying his side has prepared for most possibilities.

"When preparing the team, you need to for all different scenarios.

"When you look at the environment of Japan, we knew there was a possibility of heavy rain and even typhoons.

"While a lot of our focus has been on heat preparation, it's been challenging to replicate the rain.

"However, we've been utilising plenty of water on the balls and even going as far to put some baby oil on the balls to make them extra slippery.

And it's this extra 1% which Walsh hopes will place the team in their best possible position.

"We've prepared as best we can; now it's time to be brave and show Australia and the world how we play."

READ MORE:

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