Warringah backrower Tom Connor will make his international debut on home soil this week after earning a call up into the Australian squad for this week's Sydney 7s. Connor replaces injured utility Simon Kennewell  who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament at training and will undergo surgery ruling him out of the rest of the 2017/18 Sevens World Series. The 25-year old has played for Australia previously at invitational tournaments in Fiji and the Central Coast (NSW), while he was also part of the victorious Warringah side that claimed the 2017 Shute Shield. “It's incredibly disappointing for Simon. He's been one of our most improved players in the last year and is now a player that the opposition fear and respect," Australian coach Andy Friend said. "It's a cruel blow for him personally but also us as a team with so much at stake for us over the next six months. Simon is a fighter though, and with the full support of the squad, we know he’ll come back bigger