Sevens: Seasoned side give Tietjens strong hand

Gillies Kaka will take over as playmaker from the injured Tomasi Cama for the All Blacks Sevens team in Las Vegas. Photo / George Novak

All Blacks Sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens was in relaxed mode when he spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times across the road from the sparkling Mount beach yesterday.

With just one training session left at Blake Park's main field named after him at 10.30am today, he is satisfied with the team he has picked to contest the fourth leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Las Vegas (January 25-26).

"This is a strong side with a lot of experience and that's the advantage with this squad now, I have some very experienced players who can teach the younger players," Tietjens said.

But the side is missing playmaker Tomasi Cama who suffered a calf injury in training at Blake Park.

"He is certainly the best half back in the world in sevens and having him injured is a real concern but he will bounce back ... Gillies Kaka I am sure will step up to that role. He was the best player at Rugby World Cup in Russia and we have very capable Mark Jackman as well who can thrive in that position."

The side features one new player in Akira Ioane, who was a star performer for Auckland at the National Sevens over the weekend where the team came second to Wellington.

The 18-year-old finished school at Auckland Grammar only last year and it will be his first trip to Vegas - not that he will get a chance to see the sights.

It will be a lesson in professional rugby and how to win a tournament for the youngster Tietjens says reminds him of Zinzan Brooke.

"He is someone we want to grow as a sevens player. He has all the attributes and the skill set of a fine rugby player. He's exciting, very fast, very skilful and it will be real challenge for him his first tournament, but I am sure he will thrive on that.

"He is somewhere around a 4.81 standing 40 (metres), which is very fast. He has learnt so much in these last three days that it was a no-brainer really as he has played himself into a situation where I want to see what he has got.

"It is also about adding depth looking forward to 2016. You have an 18-year-old here and slowly bring him in with the experienced players."

The All Blacks Sevens have not won in Las Vegas and this will be the fifth year the US tournament has been held in the gambling mecca.

"We have played consistently well there so it's not that we don't play well there, it comes down to those defining moments that decide whether you win or lose," Tietjens said.

"We have to use different tactics because there is not as much width on the field so there is a lot more contact and I have picked a side that is very strong and very big and hopefully they can do the work for us."