All Blacks Sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens has brushed off the absence of injured captain DJ Forbes ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas leg of the World Series.
All Blacks Sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens watches on in Wellington Photo: Photosport
Forbes suffered a foot injury in the Wellington quarter-final, joining senior wing Tim Mikkelson on the sidelines.
"I suppose we had to cope with [the loss of Forbes] from the semi-final onwards... but we've still got some experience in the side which is great and Scott Curry and Sam Dickson and Gillies Kaka and Joe Webber - they've had a number of tournaments together," he says.
"I feel in a sevens team it's enough experience."
Sir Gordon Tietjens has named Scott Curry as the stand-in captain, while the veteran forward Lote Raikabula replaces Forbes.
He says he's shocked find out they've been drawn against Fiji, Samoa and Wales in pool play for this weekend's Las Vegas tournament.
"You feel confident, but Sevens is a pretty fickle game sometimes," he says.
"You look at the support Samoa gets, they've won that tournament a couple of times, and Fiji of course, they'll be wanting to get back."
"And of course Wales are never easy so we can expect four tough games."
New Zealand clinched this past weekend's Wellington Sevens by beating England in the final.