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Alvin Sallay

Has the aura been lost? We asked New Zealand sevens supremo Gordon Tietjens this question in the wake of the World Cup debacle. He smiles in his laconic fashion and blames rising standards for the levelling of the playing field.
Twelve months ago, New Zealand arrived  having won all four previous legs and on a record winning streak of 36 matches. 
They extended it to 42 by the time the  Sevens ended on the Sunday night. They then went on to wrap up the IRB Sevens series - their eighth title in nine seasons.
 This year the Kiwis are struggling. They were knocked out of the World Cup quarter-finals by Wales, losing 15-14, and are  third in the world standings.
And even more strangely for the DJ Forbes-led team, they haven't won this season on the circuit, coming close in George and Wellington before losing to South Africa and England respectively in the finals.
 Hong Kong 15-a-side head coach Dai Rees, who watched his Welsh compatriots defeat  New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals in Dubai,  says the aura has gone.  
'In the past you went into a game against New Zealand thinking you had all but lost it, but not any more. Wales, for instance, believed they could defeat New Zealand. The aura isn't there any more,' said Rees. 
What makes this comment particularly prescient is the fact  Rees said it before the quarter-final encounter, and before Tom Isaacs scored the winning try to clinch a memorable win.
Tietjens shrugs. 'There is an evenness among a lot of the sevens teams around the world now,' he said. 'There are five or six teams who can win  tournaments in the world series, and you have just seen Wales win their first World Cup against all the odds and predictions.
'It's great for the game. The top four sides in the world being knocked out in the  quarter-finals, was another step in the sevens being evened out.'
The black magic spell New Zealand had cast over the sevens world has been broken primarily by South Africa and England. 
But other sides have also cashed in with Kenya and Wales scoring pool wins over New Zealand in San Diego and Wellington. It is the first time  New Zealand have lost successive pool games in two tournaments.
These setbacks have seen other leading contenders capitalise. The Boks won the opening two legs in the IRB Sevens this season in Dubai and George, while England clinched the Wellington leg. 
Argentina then gate-crashed the party with a thrilling 19-14 victory over England in the final in San Diego.
Despite not winning a tournament so far, New Zealand are still within shouting distance - just eight points adrift of joint-leaders South Africa and England.
That says a lot for the consistency of the men in black who know they  have to defend their Hong Kong crown  to have any hope of retaining the IRB Sevens title.
'Securing 30 points is key for us and getting right back to the front in the world series,' Tietjens said. 'We have put behind us our World Cup disappointment and are back in world series mode now.'
Tietjens has had to grapple with injuries to key players.  Edwin Cocker (broken leg), Willie Rickards (hamstring), Tu Umaga Marshall (back) and Viliame Waqaseduadua (concussion) are all out.
 One suspects that Tietjens might still have ditched Waqaseduadua even if he had been 100 per cent. It was the Fijian-born winger who spilled the pass that should have given New Zealand victory over Wales in  Dubai. Leading 15-10, Waqaseduadua, on an overlap, dropped the ball like a hot potato with the line beckoning. 
'We would have gone 21-10 up had Dua Dua held that pass and I don't think Wales would have come back from that. But we paid for the mistake hugely,' Tietjens said.
Wales, not overawed at all, took their opportunity and made sure New Zealand did pay, and in the process proved there was no need to be so respectful after all.
Points New Zealand trail England and South Africa by in the IRB Sevens standings:8



Reality bites for New Zealand