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Bulked up Jordan Conroy given greenlight to keep 'big arms'

Jordan Conroy of Ireland celebrates after the Men's Rugby Sevens final match between Ireland and Great Britain at the Henryk Reyman Stadium during the European Games 2023 in Krakow, Poland. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland Sevens flyer Jordan Conroy – a try scorer at this weekend’s Dubai SVNS – has been permitted to retain his new,  bulked-up physique by the Irish Sevens programme.

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Conroy was sporting his new look, more heavily muscled frame at the tournament – the first leg of the revamped HSBC SVNS competition format.

The Athlone native caught up with RugbyPass at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai following Ireland’s quarter-final loss to Fiji. Despite a bright start to the tournament, which included wins over Australia and Spain, they lost their final pool game to Argentina before falling on the second day to an inform Fiji. Fiji ran riot in the first half before Ireland fought bravely before losing 29-24.

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“It just goes to show when you don’t have the ball, you can be in serious trouble. That’s just how the first half went, Fiji came out hot and firing and we were just kinda chasing the game,” said Conroy. “In the second half, we tried to turn it around. When we do have possession we are actually able to do things, it turned 180 on us and it kind of reflects the game of Sevens, as anything can happen at any moment.

“We kept at it, kept at it. Kept our cool… it was very unfortunate just to miss out by 5 points, which is a little frustrating as we came from 29 [points] behind. That’s the way that rugby goes.

After a long pre-season, Conroy has added an extra six kilos to his 6’2 frame, but it hasn’t slowed him down. Listed at just 78kg on the official HSBC SVNS website, the 29-year-old – who has been previously clocked at 10.3 metres a second on GPS – has in fact gone from 86kg when he first started playing Sevens to 92kg, and it’s muscle he’s added.

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“Pre-season was definitely needed. This is the first time we’ve had a 10 to 11-week pre-season to prepare for a season. Last year and the year before you had the pandemic and we had LA and the World Cup in the summer and then Hong Kong in October, November. It was 11 tournaments in one year which was pretty exhausting.

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“I tend to put on a lot of muscle in the weights room, but I have kept certain speeds up so they said it was alright.

“It adds a different dynamic to my game. I can carry a lot stronger now.

“You kind of have to switch up your game.  You kind of get figured out eventually if you’re on the circuit long enough. You can’t just run outside people now.

“I actually don’t know them [his current GPS sprinting stats], as we don’t get sent them,” said Conroy, who was recorded at 37-kph at the 2019 London Sevens. “I suppose when I first started I was 86kg, and I’m 92 now on a good day but on the series I’m 90kg. I’ve been able to keep the [GPS] numbers so I’m not too worried. That was the main focus.

“If need to slim down, I’ll slim down. If not, I’ll keep the big arms!”

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Comments

2 Comments
B
Bob Marler 586 days ago

A whole article about his muscles.

m
mg 585 days ago

Well we read it

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T
TT 28 minutes ago
ジェイソン・ライアンがセレクションの変更とその将来への影響を解き明かします

AB forward pack solidifying & experimenting nicely. Yes need all combinations, including back ups, tested & solidified asap.


The backline's down the other end of the spectrum, from 9 back ups to wings is all up in the air. Mainly because to many have been given too many chances to prove themselves for too long, ie while NZ other backline riches languish… or move to Japan, eg the 1 thing that has to be stopped, if it can, is NZ's most powerful centre, & exactly what ABs need, move to Japan, ie Peter Umaga-Jensen.


Add backline talent like Fakatava, D.McKenzie (permanently), Josh Jacomb, Tavatavanaw, Q.Tupaea, again Peter Umaga-Jensen, Billy Proctor, AJ Lam, Narawa, Tangitau, Naholo


This is the AB squad & team to win every future test, including the next RWC.


Order in preference /{1st pick}/ [ONJ=Once Not Injured ] / (back up)


1 {De Groot} [ONJ - Williams, Tu’ungafasi] Ollie Norris


2 { Taylor } Taukei’aho [ONJ - Aumua]


3 {Tosi} [ONJ - Lomax ] (Newell )


4,5 Locks {[ONJ - S.Barrett], Holland, Tuipulotu }, ( Vaa’i , Antonio Shalfoon, Isaia Walker-Leawere, [ONJ - Oliver Haig] )


6,7,8 Loose forwards { A.Savea, [ONJ - Lakai, Sititi], Finau, Kirifi } (Christian Lio-Willie, Vaa’i )


9 {Roigard } Ratima (Fakatava)


10 {D.McK} B.Barrett (Josh Jacomb)


12 {Tavatavanawai} Q.Tupaea (Billy Proctor)


13 { Peter Umaga-Jensen} Billy Proctor (AJ Lam)


11, 14 { W.Jordan, Narawa } [ONJ - Tangitau, Naholo] (Reece , C.Clarke)


15 {J.Barrett} B.Barrett (Love)

2 Go to comments
J
JW 48 minutes ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Common now, I checked, and I have also seen your replies to Graham just now. You know the AB tests rated higher. A ‘Friendly’! You know they go back in history even further, right?


So I can’t believe you are correct when you say it brings in the money. I can understand though playing better nations than those in the 6N but which don’t have a profile (like how Argentina is still a hard rate in NZ even after years of high performance), don’t generate the same interest as Wales etc. You’re also not going to have a SA or a NZ touring every November, and Wallabies are no longer the benchmark.


I mean I wouldn’t doubt that the most obvious revenue factor is a 6N component, not trying to say that it isn’t, just that fans show that it needn’t be. November test should still generate a high amount of revenue. As a topic it is all redundant now as the November tests (and July) are going to have a competitive factor.


Hopefully the quality of nations continue to rise and you can have three blockbuster teams touring every year in the not too distant future. 10 or 11 games might be right around the perfect number for a minimum tier 1 test nation too. I’m sure you’re going to make the rest of your season fit around that (those aren’t 100% things at all).


So although WR have already implemented change, I do still agree with your opinion that things are pretty good as they are. I only see a little improvement needed before France can really step up to All Blacks or Springbok level. You might think that a joke and that you will always look up to these teams but as a nation you really can do/go one better.

345 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

It was a reply to both your posts sorry, I mean stuff you replied to NB about only focusing on 6N and hoping that.. narrowness will benefit a WC campaign.


I think WCs are harder to win than that (requires many factors other than being able to play the best winning rugby), and 5 matches that aren’t must win and are broken up is not a good test (especially compared what the All Blacks offered).

I’m fully aware that French International players participation into Top 14, European Cups & 6 Nations will hinder their preparation for a WC.

So I wasn’t saying suggesting that. Your competitions are fine, they just aren’t going to provide everything.


Interesting insight on the last campaign, and again, those components they’re adding are also practical and sensible attempts to improve their chances at a WC. So they question remains, why go to those lengths and throw it all away by not picking a better team to travel to New Zealand?


I’ve suggested in other topics they are really close to making it work, but also the data that’s been presented in this articles shows that even now they could have also made the tour to NZ work.


That is both in the view as presented here by NB and what other players were available, and in the long term planning that you say Galthie has undertaken, in not taking the opportunity to make it work even better (factors like the dates of these tests could have seen finalists available from test 1) for a tour like this.


TBH, I can understand if Galthie made a calculated decision to undervalue the tour. Many have had a bad opinion about the All Blacks ability/level under Foster, and even in test 1 he might have shown such an attitude to be correct still under Razor.

345 Go to comments
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