KEY POINTS:
It's the time of year for that same old rugby tug-o-war over whether players should be released by their Super 14 franchises if they are wanted for duty in the NZ Sevens side.
Only this year, there's even more hanging on the outcome, as the Sevens form of the game is staging its own World Cup.
New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens is hoping for more success than four years ago as he delves into the ranks of the Super 14 to select the strongest possible team for an assault on the World Cup, to be held in Dubai from March 5-7.
Tietjens should know next week which, if any, Super 14 players are available to him for the tournament.
No more than one player can be selected from each of New Zealand's five franchises.
Tietjens has nominated up to five players at each of the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders that he is interested in and expects to hear results via the New Zealand Rugby Union next week.
The process caused some consternation in 2005 when several leading players such as All Blacks wingers Joe Rokocoko, Rico Gear and Caleb Ralph rejected the offer.
Tietjens ended up taking just three Super 12 players to Hong Kong - Blues winger Rudi Wulf, Highlanders flanker Josh Blackie and Crusaders forward George Naoupu.
The master coach lamented the mixed reaction ahead of that tournament, where a New Zealand team captained by Liam Messam lost the final 29-19 to Fiji.
He is in the dark over the level of player interest this year as he has no direct contact with players.
The NZRU acts as an intermediary.
"It will depend on what direction the player wants to go," Tietjens told NZPA.
"As an example, if Liam Messam feels that he's just cracked the All Blacks, he might want to really concentrate on Super 14 at that time of year and therefore not be considered.
"On the other hand he may say `I'm really keen to have a crack at the World Cup'.
"They may talk to their peers, their coaches, (All Blacks coach) Graham Henry.
I'm not sure what the process is.
"All I've done is express an interest in these players and I'm just waiting for an answer." For any player or franchise that agrees, Tietjens then has to assess their physical and mental state ahead of the rigorous sevens-specific training his team go through.
"I'd have to be quite confident that that player could make the transition to sevens in that short space of time.
"Some can and some can't and that's exactly what I face for the Commonwealth Games as well." Any player he selects would also miss two or three early rounds of the Super 14 as Tietjens will need them for full time training over that period.
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