Title defence dealt blow

National sevens rugby coach Gordon Tietjens believes the decision of several leading Super 12 players to skip the sevens World Cup this month has dealt a major blow to defending the title.
The New Zealand Rugby Union has backed away from forcing players to play at the Hong Kong tournament and Joe Rokocoko, Caleb Ralph and Rico Gear have all taken advantage of the policy reversal.
It's left Tietjens with just three franchise players to call up ? Highlanders flanker Josh Blackie, Chiefs and Bay of Plenty midfielder Grant McQuoid and Blues wing Rudi Wulf ? and exposes a lack of depth in Tietjens' squad.
"This is the World Cup which only comes around every four years so it's the big one and I'd planned ahead, as a coach does, to use the players that I'd expressed a real interest in," Tietjens said.
"The concern I have is that those players gave me experience at a World Cup and also added playing depth, because outside that top playing seven, the others below that are very inexperienced at that level.
"To win a World Cup, you've got to play eight games and you could strike some nasty injuries from game one. You need that cover to win a tournament."
England has bolstered its team with the likes of former Kiwi Henry Paul and flying wing Ugo Monye, while Cup hopefuls Fiji and Samoa have each got Super 12 players released.
Tietjens believes the decision to skip the World Cup was taken out of New Zealand players' hands, possibly by their franchise coaches worried at being without them for two rounds of the Super 12.
"I don't want to take anyone that doesn't really want to be there but in saying that perhaps they were being influenced in some other ways.
"In initial discussions with Joe Rokocoko, he was really keen and then in the last 24 hours he's expressed an interest not to be considered. That's disappointing and really sad."
Blues coach Peter Sloane said he had spoken to Rokocoko about the issues and, while the wing appreciated the interest from Tietjens, he did not want to compromise his international chances.
The players' association was concerned about the lack of warning given to Super 12 players and the risks their departure might have on their international future with the Lions tour this year, then the Tri-Nations and the trip to Europe.
But Tietjens maintained the rules have been in place for six months and he'd had informal discussions with the affected players since then.
Now the training squad will have to emulate the passion they showed in winning the Wellington and Los Angeles legs of the IRB world series.
Tietjens took a lot of pride in the performance of the depleted squad at those tournaments and hopes that momentum can continue.
"It just makes us more determined really. I know they'll give it their very best."
Blackie played in the first two tournaments of the international series in December while McQuoid and Wulf were part of the squad last year. ? NZPA