In the run-up to the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, we preview all the teams, including Pool D spearheaded by World Cup runners-up Argentina who face tough matches against Tonga, Portugal and the hosts.

Cup winners already this season at the USA Sevens in San Diego, Argentina are once again a consistent force in the Sevens game, but coach Duncan Forrester has been handed the challenge of rebuilding in time for the Hong Kong showpiece.

Of the four semi finalists at the recent World Cup - amazingly Wales, Samoa, Kenya and Argentina - the Pumas were the only side to have tasted World Series Cup success this season and their consistency has been built on hard graft and an honest group of amateur players.

"We did the right things with the players and the team in the run-up to the World Cup, they'd been together and were confident of themselves and each other and always playing a little bit better and by the time we got to the World Cup we were in a good moment," said Forrester, who was ultimately disappointed to finish in the runners-up position.

"We can't get the final out of our heads and I have to work on the guys now because they don't even want to watch the video," added the coach.

So far this season Argentina have relied heavily on captain Santiago Gomez Cora and Gonzalo Camacho for scoring their tries, and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino for spotting the gaps. None of those players are here in Hong Kong, leaving big gaps for Forrester to fill.

"We're looking forward to Hong Kong. It's not an excuse but we are missing five players, important players. Our captain Santiago (Gomez Cora) is out and then four others that they took away for fifteens, so we have five new players and they are good players, but one of the best things that our team had before was that it was a group of good players that made a very good team.

"Now I have more good players, but I don't know if it's going to take us long to make a good team again. We'll see what happens, we're looking forward to the two tournaments (in Hong Kong and Adelaide), I'm always happy to coach the Argentina team but I know it's not going to be the same - we have to build the team again."

Pool D low-down

Argentina
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Plate SF, lost v Kenya 24-26
George: Cup SF, lost v NZ 5-26
Wellington: Cup SF, lost v NZ 7-10
San Diego: Cup Final, won v England 19-14
 
Current Series Position:
4th, 48pts
 
Hong Kong Sevens 2008:
Plate Final, lost v France 14-17

Form guide:
Talk about a good sense of timing, until this year the Pumas' one and only IRB Sevens title had come back in 2004 in Los Angeles. From a losing Plate semi final in Dubai to Cup semi finals in George and Wellington, the real breakthrough came in San Diego with a long-awaited second Cup Final win and progression to the World Cup final was hardly surprising in the end.

Captain and talisman Santiago Gomez Cora is out injured and, with the likes of Camacho and Amorosino stolen away for 15-a-side duty, a lot rests on the shoulders of Martin Rodrigues and former skipper Lucio Lopez Fleming.

_____________________________

Portugal
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Bowl Final, won v France 24-0
George: Plate Final, lost v England 7-24
 
Current Series Position:
9th, 8pts
 
Hong Kong Sevens 2008:
Plate QF, lost v Tonga 17-26

Form guide:
A very efficient outfit who play a fluid, intelligent brand of Sevens. Winners of the European qualifying tournament in Hannover, they will reflect with a mixture of pride and irony on how they beat World Champions Wales 26-12 in the Final there.

A hard-working squad and coach Tomaz Morais, who all do great service for the country in both Sevens and 15s, they may be a little over stretched in Hong Kong with the current emphasis understandably on the European Nations Cup and qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Six of the side that beat Romania in Bucharest for the first time ever at the weekend travel to Hong Kong, including powerful win Aderito Esteves and diminutive playmaker Pedro Leal, but will fatigue play against them?

_____________________________


Tonga
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Wellington: Bowl Final, lost v Cook Islands 10-24
 
Current Series position:
Unranked, 0 pts
 
Hong Kong Sevens 2008:
Plate SF L v Argentina 12-19
 
Form guide:
Given their limited appearances on the Sevens scene Tonga never disappoint. At the World Cup they were within one point of ousting Wales from the Cup quarter finals, finishing as unlucky third best pool runners-up.

A strong, physical squad hopefully with captain John Cocker back after injury. Kaufusi, Tuatao and Veikune provide a core of experience in the team and the trio will be trying to replicate the performance of two years ago, when they reached the Cup semi finals by dispatching USA, Argentina and South Africa en route.

_____________________________


Hong Kong
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Unranked, first appearance
 
Hong Kong Sevens 2008:
Bowl SF, lost v Zimbabwe 7-35
 
Form guide:
Plenty for coach Rod MacKintosh to be proud of after the World Cup in Dubai and always a challenge for even the best on home soil. Young Thomas McQueen and Rowan Varty were exceptional on the biggest stage of all and the dashing home hero Keith Robertson is sure to raise the pulse.

Guaranteed a warmer reception than ever by the home crowd and working very hard at becoming Asia's number one team in Sevens.