Rugby sevens: X-factor pleases coach

A hot wind was blowing through the gum trees at plush Scotch College in suburban Hawthorn yesterday.

It was as comfortable as standing in a giant fan oven. But out in the middle of the pitch, New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens was as happy as a lark calling the shots, oblivious to a thermometer hovering round 36C.

The longtime Sevensmeister leaned into the wind like a pointer sniffing the breeze as he eyed his players through a gruelling hour's work.

It's been a tough international campaign for Tietjens this year, and at the halfway stage the perennial world champions, although not out of the hunt for a seventh gong, face a tough job over the final four tournaments to maintain their remarkable record.

But this is different. The New Zealanders are chasing a third successive Commonwealth Games gold, and instead of the young whippersnappers of the early circuit events, Tietjens has a clutch of Super 14 players here. And he's happy with what he's seen.

"We've got five experienced footballers who've played big sevens tournaments and been part of the world series-winning team last year," Tietjens said, alluding to having Chiefs Sosene Anesi and Liam Messam, Highlander Josh Blackie, Crusader Tanerau Latimer and Hurricane Tamati Ellison, in his squad of 12.

"Every one of them has the X-factor and you need that in every player who plays sevens."

He'd hoped to have some X-factor from All Black wing Doug Howlett, but he's gone with a hamstring tear.

Howlett was "devastated" to leave the team, Tietjens said, and he insisted no pressure was brought to bear from the Blues to get the seasoned flier back.

If Howlett plays against the Brumbies this weekend, Tietjens won't mutter. He'll put it down to a rapid recovery.

But at least Anesi is there and he's got searing pace. He reckoned yesterday his personal best over 100m was 10.6 seconds, which would have had him crossing the finish line at Olympic Park on Thursday night just about neck and neck with world champion Asafa Powell.

Tietjens reckons no one will be quicker than the Chief with the distinctive yellow strip down the back of his head.

There's no talk of defending their Games title. Rather, New Zealand are here to win another gold.

It might be an exercise in semantics, but as Anesi put it, it's about here and now, not what's gone on before.

Longtime Sevens rock Amasio Valence, who missed the original selection, is training the house down, Tietjens said, and the only player slightly off colour yesterday was Blackie, feeling some lingering effects from a virus he picked up on Highlanders duty.

Tietjens suggested it might be more related to watching the Highlanders lose in South Africa yesterday.

But they seemed a happy bunch, as high fives, low fives and plenty of chortles in a group hug put a full stop on yesterday's training.