England's Sevens team has arrived in Wellington as defending champions, but much changed from the side that took the spoils in the NZI Sevens final at the Westpac last year.

That Cup victory was a first in IRB Sevens rugby for coach Ben Ryan, who now has his eyes set on a rare double in front of a notoriously partisan crowd.

"I love coming to Wellington, it's one of the top tournaments and we always feel really welcome there," he said.

"I guess as champions it adds a bit of spice because we're going to do everything in our powers to make it really hard to knock us out of a tournament we want to defend.

"The Westpac atmosphere takes care of itself. We know what we're going to get - a combination of frosty reception but a bit tongue-in-cheek.

"It's friendly and it's positive and that's something that we'll embrace, but the pool just looks tougher and tougher the more you look at it.

Group of Death?

"Tonga and the US have been playing recently in Fiji (at the Suva Rugby Festival) and Kenya have also had a run-out (in Darwin). They are three very good sides.

"The feeling of winning here last year was so good that it's one you want to repeat. We have the honour to trying to defend titles this year in two places where I think rugby is taken most seriously, Wellington and London, and we're going to go all out in New Zealand first."

Ryan has unearthed some young gems this season, notably wing Christian Wade and forward Jake Abbott, but he more than anyone will be aware that he arrives in New Zealand with only two of the seven starters from last year's Cup final.

Watch now: England's victorious 2009 campaign



The timeless Ben Gollings and half back partner Kevin Barrett are present, but all three starting forwards and the two outside backs from February 2009 are missing.

Damu a major loss

Outstanding Isoa Damu will be particularly hard to live without. The Fijian-born giant was cruelly forced to withdraw through injury recently, while Rob Vickerman and Chris Cracknell are pursuing 15s careers in England.

Last year's captain Ollie Phillips is also enjoying a 15s renaissance at Stade Francais in Paris and winger Tom Biggs is a regular in the Guinness Premiership.

"I was looking at that and some of those guys may reappear as we get closer to the Commonwealth Games, but it's a fresh group. That's how we are and we've started the season reasonably well," said an upbeat Ryan.

"So far we've won 10 of the 12 games we've played and it's a fresh chance for this current crop.

"Those guys not here have all rung me and they're all pretty jealous that they're not on this trip.

"Everyone that plays for us from now will be doing their utmost to stay in the side, and it's not just because we've got the Commonwealth Games this year to build towards. The guys not here miss the set-up, they miss the whole package of the travel, the playing, the Sevens game, the cameraderie, the stadium - everything.

"But for the young guys now who are coming into the side having seen those other players win here last year, they're doing everything they can.

England's Gold Standard

"I never want to big them up too much as youngsters because they've still got a long way to go, but they've certainly done very well at this early stage in their careers and if they keep working hard then I think we'll have some pretty special players on our hands.

"The terryifying thing, though, is that you go around looking at the Under 18s and the Under 20s and there are some magnificent players in those teams and we;ve got a really conveyor belt for the next few years. I'm just delighted to be in the system at a time when we're going to be turning out players of a gold standard."

Gold standard or not, Ryan and his players have a lot to live up to this weekend. They may even finally have earned the respect of the Westpac crowd.

"The respect of the crowd is something we've never really had in Wellington before, and even last year we probably didn't get it until the semi final.

"Tietj (New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens) will be telling everyone to remember how much it hurt when we beat them in the final minute, and that will be the memory that they will take forward, but for us we were 14 points up against New Zealand in George before Christmas and losing that one hurt us a lot as well.

"That was a huge 24 point turnaround in the World Series that game, and that's the fresh memory for us."