New Zealand will approach their home leg of the 2007/08 IRB Sevens World Series in Wellington with a perfect record after Gordon Tietjens’ side claimed victories in the opening two tournaments in Dubai and George earlier this month.

Worryingly for the rest of the teams, New Zealand enjoyed success in George without their IRB Sevens Player of the Year Afeleke Pelenise, captain Tafai Ioasa and playmakers Nigel Hunt and Tomasi Cama who were unavailable through injury or paternity leave.

Tietjens expects to have this quartet back for the New Zealand International Sevens in Wellington – a tournament New Zealand haven’t won since 2005 – on 1-2 February and hopes to retain the others, including the two exciting youngsters Israel Dagg and Victor Vito he blooded in the first two events.

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Renowned commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith may insist he “can’t see this team [New Zealand] getting anything other than better” because “they are on a roll again”, but Tietjens has been around too long to know that in Sevens anything can, and often does, happen.

“Two wins out of two tournaments in the World Series is great,” Tietjens told irbsevens.com after their 34-7 defeat of Fiji in the George final. “To get into a little lead for going into the next tournament in Wellington [is important] because it can change on you so quickly.

The main contenders

“We are going to Wellington, our own tournament and one we would love to win. We haven’t won it for a little while and it’s one we are certainly going to target ... [but] it is a big ask to win your own tournament with lots of extra pressure.”

Success in Wellington would give New Zealand five consecutive tournament titles in the Series stretching back to London last May, but Dubai and George runners-up Fiji and twice semi-finalists South Africa will be leading the charge to end that impressive run.

Fiji coach Jo Savou blooded seven newcomers in Dubai and George and while they impressed it will be interesting to see whether he recalls the talented William Ryder for the Wellington and San Diego legs of the Series as he looks to cut the eight-point deficit to New Zealand in the standings.

South Africa - third with 24 points - will have Mzwandile Stick and Jonathan Mokuena available after injury and suspension respectively to boost their campaign, which sees them stop off in Darwin, Australia, en route to New Zealand to play in a tournament there in mid-January.

Setting sights even higher

England and Argentina also reached Cup semi-finals in Dubai and George respectively and both will be hoping to better these performances when the Series resumes, a young English team having learned quickly from their experiences in the opening events.

Coach Ben Ryan hopes to strengthen his squad in time for Wellington, but England will miss the creativity of Ben Foden who underwent surgery on the shoulder he injured in scoring against Australia in the Bowl semi-final in George and is out for up to three months.

Samoa are the defending champions in Wellington and will hope the Westpac Stadium where they won their first ever IRB Sevens World Series event will herald a change of fortunes after disappointing results in Dubai and George for Rudi Moors’ charges left them with only 10 points.

Another side hoping for an improvement in Wellington will be Wales, the new core members having failed to reach the Cup quarter-finals in 2007/08 – a Bowl success in George their best result.

Scotland enjoyed happier times, coach Stephen Gemmell’s young team catching the eye as they reached two Cup quarter-finals and were only denied a shock defeat of South Africa by Vuyo Zangqa’s last gasp winner in George.

USA and Kenya impress

However while New Zealand picked up where they left off after winning a seventh overall Series crown in eight years, there was clear evidence of the smaller nations making great strides forward in Dubai and George.

Kenya reached the Cup quarter-finals in both tournaments, narrowly losing to South Africa in Dubai after an incredible second half fight back and then Fiji in George before bouncing back to win the Plate competition.

Their opponents in that final were USA, who enjoyed a South African debut to remember. Al Caravelli’s side hadn’t won a game in Dubai, but they clicked in George and beat France and Canada to reach a first Cup quarter-final in five years.

New Zealand may have ended their challenge there, but the Americans weren’t finished and stunned Samoa in the Plate semi-final – a 24-19 victory Caravelli admits was “the clincher” for them and bodes well for the USA’s continued development.

Huge strides forward

“The strides that we made in George were huge because our team finally believed in our solid defence and we started to move the ball into space,” Caravelli told irbsevens.com after the 15-14 loss to Kenya. “That win against Samoa was really the clincher for us.

“It gave the players confidence but it also helped us now when we go back to the drawing board and get ready for Wellington and San Diego as it gives us the ability as a coaching staff to move up to the next level, which is very important for our players’ progress, not only on the circuit but within rugby in general.”

Kenya and USA weren’t the only improving nations to impress, Zimbabwe were a threat with their flying wings and won the Shield in Dubai, while Tunisia fought back from 12-0 down to draw with Australia and were a missed conversion at the death away from causing an upset in George.

Wellington sees Pacific Sevens champions Tonga join the 12 core teams along with Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, while a week later in San Diego there will be the opportunity for Mexico, the West Indies and Chile to showcase their talents and dream of causing an upset.