Australian Sevens team using Brisbane camp and a 'whole squad mentality' for final Paris Olympic Games prep

Australia's SVNS series final winners were in action at Ballymore against Fiji and Japan. ( Rugby Australia: Brendan Hertel)

Fresh from winning the inaugural SVNS series final in Madrid, the Australian women's sevens team are back on home soil for a training camp before heading back to Europe to try to reclaim the Olympic title they won in Rio.

In the shadows of Ballymore's old light towers and in front of the gleaming new National Rugby Centre in Brisbane's inner north, Australia and Australia A met Fiji and Japan over two days as a final burst of preparation ahead of the 12-player Olympic squad being named in early July.

And, needless to say, Australia is singularly focused on staying sharp ahead of Paris.

"We've got one more job to do," skipper Charlotte Caslick said.

"And we've gotta keep building towards that.

"From the beginning, [we] had a plan around where we're peaking … if it all goes to plan, which it has so far, we'll be at our best shape in Paris."

Caslick, who has played over 300 games for Australia in the World Series, has experienced the full range of Olympic emotions in her stellar career.

A gold medal winner in 2016 in Rio, the 29-year-old was part of the team in Tokyo that crashed out in the quarterfinals before the medal rounds.

"I would love this group to experience what I got to experience in Rio," Caslick said.

"They're a great group of girls and I've loved leading them. Obviously Sharni [Smale] will probably be finishing up with Sevens [after the Olympics] and I would love for her to go out on a solid high, she really deserves that.

"This group has achieved so much and been at the top of the game for so long.

"Unfortunately, Australians don't get to watch us play that much, so this is our time to show everyone what we're capable of and it's important that we do it on the biggest stage."

Injuries mounting after gruelling season

After playing in Brisbane, the squad heads back to Sydney before being slashed to just 12 players who will become Olympians.

Australia has been drawn with Ireland, Great Britain and South Africa in Pool B at the Games, while the men's team will meet Argentina, Samoa and Kenya.

Caslick admits that it is hard to leave people behind, but emphasised that the entire group had contributed to the success Australian women's sevens is enjoying at the moment.

"It is hard, we can't take everyone, but it's a squad effort," she said.

"We always make a big emphasis on the fact that it's team first, and I think what this group in particular has been really good at is putting the team before themselves.

"We'll be going out there to play, not just the 12 that are on the plane to Paris, but the whole squad."

Strength in depth has become increasingly important for head coach Tim Walsh, with injuries affecting a number of star players.

Demi Hayes suffered an ACL injury in Cape Town in January, while Lily Dick and Maddy Ashby both suffered a knee injury in Singapore in May.

The depth will be further tested with the news that Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea also went down with a knee injury in training this month.

"There's girls like Maddy Ashby and Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea at home but would have been in the teams — two of our best players," Caslick said.

"They won't be there, so they'll be in the back of our minds, that we'll be playing for all of them.

"I think what this group is so good at is just celebrating each other and wanting the best for the group and not just yourself."

From water polo to touch to sevens — next stop Paris?

For youngster Bella Nasser, the prospect of maybe heading to a Games is a heady mix of excitement and nerves.

The 21-year-old, whose brother Josh is knocking on the door of a Wallabies call up after a stellar season with the Queensland Reds and whose sister Sophie played water polo for Australia, has transitioned from water polo to touch football before playing 59 games on the SVNS series for Australia.

"I think I was always a land animal. I was always destined to be a runner, not a swimmer," Nasser joked.

"I guess you chose a path in your life, and it was either water polo or touch football that led into sevens.

"I think it was a pretty straightforward transition."

Nasser said, despite finishing second in the SVNS league standings behind New Zealand, who won four of the year's seven tournaments to Australia's two, that the success of the final in Madrid, where Australia thrashed France 26-7 after a thrilling come-from-behind victory against the Black Ferns in the semifinal, was key.

"Winning out a pinnacle event like Madrid and winning the World Series instils lots of confidence within yourself and within the team," Nasser said.

"We're really embracing that, and I think going into a tournament like the Olympic Games, it's really good to be in good form, so yeah, we're just embracing the confidence and just chipping away and getting better and better.

"Teams like New Zealand and France are also the hunted so we're just ensuring that we focus on ourselves.

"We know we have so much work to do to be better. We know we're not finished yet."

The Aussies won tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town, but then finished second in three of the remaining four tournaments in the SVNS regular season as Ireland won in Perth and the New Zealand went on a four-tournament winning streak.

But getting back to winning ways at the season finale in Madrid ensured that the Aussies go into the Paris Games in a great mindset.

"We're not going to participate. We're going to win and bring home a medal," Nasser said.'

"It would mean so much. And yeah, kind of makes me nervous and gives me butterflies thinking about it."

Nerves for some. Excitement for all.

"It's exciting. I think everyone's just really looking forward to it," Caslick said.

"We've had a great season and we've had a long season, but everyone's just seems to be super pumped.

"We've got a great group of girls, a great family and friends support network as well, who support the girls all of the time and all year round and I think we're excited to get there.

"The parents and the families and friends are excited to get there to watch and yeah, we're just really looking forward to getting over there and putting out a performance that we'll be proud of and hopefully that Australia will be proud.

"And come away with what we deserve, I guess."