Hugo Keenan has "fitted in perfectly" and coach James Topping expects the Ireland star to light up the Olympic Sevens tournament.
Having made a high-profile return to the sevens set-up following Leinster's Champions Cup final defeat at the end of May, Keenan missed out on the URC play-offs and Ireland’s Test series against the Springboks.
The 28-year-old racked up three tournaments since returning to the squad where he had already played two seasons between 2017 and 2019 before getting a senior contract with Leinster.
"He’s fitted in perfectly," head coach Topping, whose side face South Africa (4.30pm Irish time) and Japan (8pm Irish time) tomorrow at Stade de France, told RTÉ Sport.
"He’s great friends with a lot of the guys having played with us before. Hugo, like what he does with the XV side, is really solid, consistent, makes his tackles, makes very few errors.
"That’s what we need with the style of rugby we play. We’ve got lots of guys who are great finishers, and score tries, you also need those that can win the ball back, stop the opposition, frustrate them as well.
"Hugo is fantastic at that and gives us that skillset.
"He’s had a real sort of fast reintroduction to Sevens and only played three tournaments and been managed through that as well.
"The last 10 days in Tours he’s really settled in, he’s got his bearings back and the natural side of playing Sevens where he can now just use his ability when he gets the ball.
"I’m really excited to see him playing in this tournament."
Seven of the 12-man squad played three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, including Jordan Conroy.
The Offaly man says Keenan was welcomed into the squad with "open arms".
"He was one of the few players that we’d accept seeing that he really did help us at the beginning of the series and helped us to qualify for the World Series," said the 30-year-old.
"We’ve welcomed him with open arms. I remember asking him two weeks into training how does it differ, and he said, 'I still haven’t adjusted’.
"It’s only fair, the XVs and Sevens are such different games.
"With the couple of tournaments he’s had he’s just picked it up like that again.
"That’s just the player he is. He’s up there with most of us now and he’s performing really well and trying to get every minute detail right but yeah, he’s been doing amazing."
After a second-place finish in this season’s World Series, Ireland have set themselves the goal of a podium finish in Paris for the tournament that takes place from tomorrow until Saturday.
"I’ll take a silver, bronze or gold," added Conway. "I’ll take any as long as we’re up there on that podium."
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