Jun.29.2010

All Blacks Adam Thomson and Zac Guildford as well as in-form wing Hosea Gear, who scored a hat trick against England for the Maori recently, have been included in a New Zealand Sevens 22-man trial squad for the Commonwealth Games.

Coach Gordon Tietjens has brought the wider squad together and will reduce the number to 14 next month, ahead of this year's Games in New Delhi, India, in October.

Loose forward Thomson, who earned his stripes playing Sevens for Tietjens, and wing Guildford, who impressed for NZ's junior ranks, were both included in the enlargened squad currently in Mount Maunganui for a training camp.

Both were omitted from the All Blacks for the upcoming Tri Nations series against South Africa and Australia, while Hurricanes and New Zealand Maori wing Gear was unable to break into the national side despite strong form.

Tietjens has also included 2009 All Blacks wing Ben Smith in his squad along with IRB Junior Player of the Year Julian Savea, who helped New Zealand win the Junior World Championship in Argentina last week.

One man to have gone the other way and forced his way into the All Blacks reckoning is former Sevens superstar Victor Vito.

Tietjens said he was pleased with the depth of the players coming into the trial camp.

"We have a good mix of current sevens national squad members and quality players coming in from other national teams," he said.

Players not considered for the trial camp due to injury are Sean Maitland (shoulder), Tim Nanai-Williams (hamstring), Lelia Masaga (knee), Kendrick Lynn (groin), Jared Payne (ankle) and Scott Waldrom (hand).

Under Tietjens, New Zealand have won all three of the Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens golds on offer - in 1998, 2002 and 2006 - but face a tough test this year against the likes of IRB Sevens World Series champions Samoa, third-placed side Australia, England, South Africa, Wales and Kenya.

New Zealand Commonwealth Games sevens trial squad: Toby Arnold (Bay of Plenty), Kurt Baker (Taranaki), Beauden Barrett (Taranaki), Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Edwin Cocker (Auckland), DJ Forbes (Counties-Manukau), Robert Fruean (Canterbury), Hosea Gear (Wellington), Zac Guildford (Hawke's Bay), Jason Hona (Bay of Plenty), Solomon King (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty), Fritz Lee (Counties-Manukau), Brendon Leonard (Waikato), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Julian Savea (Welllington), Ben Smith (Otago), Ben Souness (Taranaki), Sherwin Stowers (Counties-Manukau), Adam Thomson (Otago), Save Tokula (Waikato).