England have the pace, but New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens believes the battle for the Hong Kong Sevens will be won in the forwards after the opening salvoes were fired on a day when the 11,000th try in the history of the IRB Sevens was scored by Kiwi Tafai Ioasa.
'The crucial area will be up front. This game is all about possession and the side which dominates in the forwards will have the advantage. The set pieces will be crucial,' said Tietjens after the Kiwis had eased to a 48-0 win over Japan.
Ioasa, appearing for the fourth time at the Hong Kong Sevens, got the honour of scoring the 11,000th try in the series when he crossed over for New Zealand's second try of the match.
'The word is out that I'm going to get a sponsors car. I hope the Mercedes will be delivered to New Zealand,' joked Ioasa. It was quite an accomplished display from New Zealand when one considers that Japan are no pushovers. But despite the wet conditions, the Kiwis scored eight slickly worked tries, two of them by new boy Sosene Anesi who showed he has the pace to match England fliers like Richard Haughton and Neil Baxter.
The other new face in the New Zealand lineup, Tanerau Latimer also got his name on the scoresheet after coming on as a second half substitute. The last member of the new brigade, Rudi Wulf, may not have scored, but he showed enough class and is certain to be a thorn in the opposition over the next two days.
'I'm happy with our performance. It is vital in these early games to score as much points as you can,' said Tietjens. 'I'm especially pleased with new guys.'