The North American Invitational 7s gets underway Friday with 58 of the top boys and girls teams from across the country vying for titles in Salt Lake City.

Here are seven things to watch for over the next two days at the Regional Athletic Complex:

Atlantis U17s

It's easy to look at the older teams -- such as Atlantis U18s, EIRA, Upright, and others -- and think they will have all the top performers at a tournament. However, sometimes it's the young guys who embrace the task at hand. Atlantis does a good job of finding talented, young players and then putting them through the wringer to get them ready to play high-performance rugby.

Putting The Boot To It

As players start to hone their craft and play more of these types of tournaments, they start to expand their skills repertoire. One piece of skill you don't see early in a sevens players development is kicking. Sometimes players are even told not to kick. Certainly, there's a time and a place, and we expect you to see more frequent and varied kicks.

This is especially true for defensive battles, but the ability to control a ball grubbered ahead and chased will be a big story.

Moses Sepulona

The Rhino Rugby Academy coaches have kept Sepulona in the U16s, and that is not good news for everyone else in the U16 boys bracket. He's a big boy with pace and agility and has an opportunity to take this bracket bu the scruff of the neck. 

The Ol' Catch and Pass

Whenever there's a really nice, long sequence that produces a try in sevens, there's a moment when a player just catches the ball and passes it on to a teammate. Often, that's a key moment. With everyone trying to make a break or put on a move, it can sometimes give defenses that little bit of time to re-align and stop the play. But a player who just catches and smoothly passes on to a free teammate who is running onto it can stretch the defense more than anything else. Watch for it... that calm player in the middle who just makes a pass and makes the play.

Ty Carlson

He was MVP of the Rocky Mountain Challenge, and many say he's one of the best scrumhalves in the nation. He plays for the Utah Lions Academy, and he's pretty nifty. See his picture above.

The Texas-Utah Connection

Can Rock Rugby come together with half a team from Texas and half a team from Utah? Well, they've got a pretty special talent in Bailey Wilson running the show and a few chips on their shoulders. If they play as a unit, watch out.

Inoke Waqavesi

The MVP of the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy defeat of Ulster just recently, he could well break out more in sevens. A runner who can beat you in close spaces, he's a good passer and a very smart field general. This could be his moment.

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