New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens has named a 13-man squad for the opening two tournaments of the 2007/08 IRB Sevens World Series with try scoring sensation Afeleke Pelenise the one notable absentee.
Pelenise, who was named IRB Sevens Player of the Year last month having scored 41 tries and helped New Zealand win a seventh Series title in eight years, missed the latest training camp at Mt Maunganui as he was suffering with a knee injury.
The final squad though still contains plenty of experience with the likes of Tomasi Cama, Zar Lawrence, DJ Forbes – who was also nominated for the IRB Sevens Player of the Year award – and Tafai Ioasa.
Ioasa will take over the captaincy from Forbes after missing most of the 2006/07 Series with a knee injury, while Tietjens has also handed three promising youngsters a place in the squad after they impressed him during the camps.
Returning to familiar ground
One of them, Victor Vito, will certainly be no stranger to Dubai, having captained New Zealand to runners up at the IRB Under 19 World Championship there in 2006. The Wellington loose forward has also played at Under 21 level.
Nineteen year old Israel Dagg was a member of the team that won the last IRB Under 19 World Championship in Belfast back in April, while James Kamana, 22, made his Air New Zealand Cup debut for Waikato this year.
“They bring a mix of pace and bulk to our team, and although they are new to this environment they have convinced me that they are ready for international Sevens rugby,” Tietjens said of the newcomers.
“All three come out of a fifteens set up so the key for them is to adapt quickly to the pace of the game, and they showed that at our trial.”
Consistency the key to success
New Zealand, as defending IRB Sevens champions, are the top seeds for the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens and will face France, Scotland and the Arabian Gulf in Pool A of a tournament they have won three since 2000 and were runners up in last year.
A week later Tietjens’ men will meet England, Kenya and Zimbabwe in Pool A at the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens in George as they look to repeat their 2006 success at Outeniqua Park Stadium to claim a fifth win in the event.
“One of the keys to success is consistency because there is very little between the countries; any team can win the Series and we need to be on top of our game to give ourselves a chance of winning,” added Tietjens.
A squad of 13 has been named because Nigel Hunt will fly back to New Zealand after the tournament in Dubai as he will be on paternity leave, so Kamana will join the squad for the George leg of the eight-tournament Series.
New Zealand squad:
Tomasi Cama, Edwin Cocker, Israel Dagg, DJ Forbes, Nigel Hunt (Dubai only), Tafai Ioasa (Captain), James Kamana (George only), Solomon King, Zar Lawrence, Rene Ranger, Lote Raikabula, Victor Vito, Steven Yates.
