Everything is on the line for defending champions New Zealand this weekend.
So it is no surprise they have persuaded the Hurricanes to release big winger Victor Vito for the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens in a make-or-break bid to retain their IRB Sevens crown.
Vito, who made a cameo appearance at the World Cup a fortnight ago before limping off with a calf injury, was a surprise inclusion in the squad. But the Super 14 star said he was fit and ready to go.
'I was in rehab when I got the call for Hong Kong,' said Vito. 'It was last minute, but I'm okay now and eager to get out there. My torn calf muscle is mended.'
Vito, who turns 22 on Friday, was part of the squad who swept away the Cup last year. The Kiwis arrived on the back of a record 36-game winning streak and extended it to 42 by the time they left.
That has all changed this season as coach Gordon Tietjens had grappled with injuries and loss of key personnel in the four previous legs in the IRB Sevens, as well as the World Cup.
'We've been smashed by more injuries than in any other year since I've been coaching,' Tietjens said after his squad's first training run at So Kon Po yesterday. 'It's been unbelievable the number of players I have lost, but we are still in with a chance to win the world series.'
