Sevens: Tietjens' squad tune up before 'tough' decider

All Blacks Sevens legend Tomasi Cama training at Blake Park yesterday. Photo/Andrew Warner

Sir Gordon Tietjens put his latest training squad of players through day one of a three-day camp at Mount Maunganui yesterday to prepare for the final two legs of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Glasgow (May 3-4) and London (May 10-11).

Tietjens' side holds a slender seven-point lead over South Africa and he will make his final selection for the players to join the team tomorrow.

Crusaders player Adam Whitelock made a surprise appearance at the camp but impressed Tietjens with his fitness and rugby nous.

"He expressed a real interest over the last 12 months to have a crack at Sevens," Tietjens said.

"Super Rugby has prevented that but he has been floating around as a back-up I suppose. They released him to come here. He is the fittest Crusader and the game suits him. He wants to have a crack at going to the Comm Games and going down the Sevens track."

Tietjens has been coaching the national side for a remarkable 20 years since the Hong Kong tournament in 1994.

He says the significance of the milestone struck home after his team's win in Hong Kong late last month.

"My first tournament win as New Zealand coach was winning Hong Kong in 1994 and then winning it in 2014 made it quite significant," Tietjens said.

"Winning just three weeks ago was quite special 20 years after the first."

Leading into the final two legs of the series is a situation Tietjens has been in many times before but he says it does not make it any easier.

"It is always tough. These two tournaments are about wining or losing the World Series, really, and we have a pretty tough pool in Glasgow in South Africa, Samoa and Portugal. Mate, it is not a given, that's for real. If we trip over and don't make the cup championship, it is all on."

Tietjens has guided his teams to 11 of 14 World Series wins.