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SCMP Reporter

FOOTBALL Club's dynamic scrum-half Adam Adair has forced his way into the territory's 10-man squad for this month's Canberra and Hongkong Sevens.

  Adair, who was drafted into Hongkong coach George Simpkin's training squad last week, has been in outstanding form for Club this season and last week helped his side to Plate victory at the Singapore Sevens.

  His performance in Singapore convinced Simpkin to include him in the squad after injury forced Police player Jim Walker to pull out.

  His teammate at Club, Keith Gauntlet, suffering from a hip injury, Valley duo Simon Litster and Ashley Billington and Tigers' centre Geoff Piper were left out.

  However, these players will still be available for selection for another 10-man squad for April's World Cup Sevens in Scotland.

  While the squad is packed with skill, Simpkin is concerned about a lack of speed, amply available in last year's team which won the Plate at the Hongkong Sevens.

  ''We don't have as much speed as we did last year and also the loss of the Welsh players was a problem.

  ''We haven't got the depth there was before. But we should still be competitive.''   Six of the players from last year's team which won the Plate in memorable style are missing this year, including the four Royal Regiment of Wales players Gareth James, Chris Jones, Kevin A'Hearne and Chris Spowart.

  The Regiment returned to Britain at the end of last year.

  The versatile Gary Cross, who has been part of the Hongkong sevens set-up for the past four years, was ruled out after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month.

  Simpkin was also unable to call upon one of his fastest players, Stewart Brew, who suffered a serious knee injury in helping Hongkong to qualify for the World Cup Sevens at last year's Sicily Sevens.

  Policeman Ian Strange, the only recognised speedster in the squad, Craig Pain and forward Stuart Krohn are the three survivors from last year's team.

  Steve Burton, Hongkong's 15s captain who made his sevens debut for the territory in Sicily, is one of five forwards in the side along with Krohn, Mathias Entenmann, Tim Leach and David Bulbeck, who was a member of the 1990 Hongkong Plate-winning side.

  Philippe Lacamp and Mark Thomas, both key members of Club's championship-winning side, complete the squad.

  Entenmann's selection caps an eventful 12 months of international rugby.

  He represented Germany at last year's Hongkong Sevens but failed to get in the German side for the Sicily Sevens last May because of injury.

  Entenmann arrived in Hongkong last year and turned out regularly for Kowloon before making his debut for Hongkong at January's Darwin Sevens.

  All 24 teams in this year's Hongkong Sevens, from March 27-28 at the Hongkong Stadium, have been allowed to name 10-man squads compared to nine in previous years.

  Hongkong face a difficult assignment at the 12-team Canberra Sevens on March 13 when they take on sevens kings Fiji and leading Australian state side Queensland in Pool D.

  Hongkong have been seeded to compete in the second-level Plate tournament at Canberra.

  In the Hongkong Sevens, the territory have been drawn against Ireland and Italy in Pool C, and have been given a genuine chance of winning the group and qualifying for the main Cup competition.

  Hongkong have not qualified for the Cup since 1989.

  The squad will have three training sessions before leaving for Canberra on March 11.

  The players will also represent their respective clubs at next week's National Sevens.

Hongkong squad Stuart Krohn (Valley), Steve Burton (Tigers), Mathias Entenmann (Kowloon), Tim Leach (Kowloon), David Bulbeck (Club), Craig Pain (Kowloon), Adam Adair (Club), Philippe Lacamp (Club), Mark Thomas (Club), Ian Strange (Police).



Adair in Sevens heaven as Simpkin names squad