Rugby sevens: Messam in but Valence out for Melbourne

The New Zealand sevens rugby team will have the surprise services of former captain Liam Messam at next month's Commonwealth Games but will be without modern great Amasio Valence.

In a squad announcement packed with surprises today, Valence's name was missing from the 12-strong squad to compete at Melbourne because of an ongoing knee injury.

Valence, who last month became the first player to compete in 50 International Rugby Board sevens tournaments, made his debut as a 17-year-old at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. He played a key role in their gold medal campaign there and at the 2002 Games in Manchester where they defended their title.

Coach Gordon Tietjens said leaving Valence out was a tough decision.

"Amasio understands that his fitness levels are not where they need to be to play at the Commonwealth Games where players have to be on top of their game," he said.

Better news for Tietjens was the availability of two additional Super 14 players, adding to the stipulated five who were available and who he named today.

The two were powerful Chiefs loose forward Messam, who led the national sevens side last year, and Auckland flanker Onosa'i Tololima-Auva'a, who has been one of Tietjens' contracted players this year but was recently called into the Blues Super 14 squad.

Under the agreed selection criteria, Super 14 coaches only had to release one player per franchise.

However, Chiefs coach Ian Foster and Blues coach David Nucifora had both agreed to release an additional player each, much to the satisfaction of New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew.

"The coaches need to be applauded because they were not required to make two players available. However, they reviewed their respective teams' situations, " Tew said.

"Liam was not part of the original wider squad of 22 but the Chiefs were happy to release him after confirmation that they had sustained no further injuries to their squad during their Super 14 games in South Africa and Australia."

As expected, Tietjens has selected the five Super 14 players he named in the wider Games squad last month -- Blues winger Doug Howlett, Chiefs winger Sosene Anesi, Hurricanes utility back Tamati Ellison, Crusaders flanker Tanerau Latimer and Highlanders flanker Josh Blackie.

The side will be captained by Hawke's Bay loose forward Tafai Ioasa, who has led the team since the IRB Sevens tournament in Dubai in December last year.

The squad will assemble at Mount Maunganui on Sunday for a week-long camp. They leave for Melbourne on March 11.

New Zealand's pool matches at the Games are against Wales, Namibia and Kenya.

Sevens team:

Tafai Ioasa (Hawke's Bay, captain), Doug Howlett (Auckland), Sosene Anesi (Waikato), Liam Messam (Waikato), Tamati Ellison (Wellington), Tanerau Latimer (Bay of Plenty), Josh Blackie (Otago), Nigel Hunt (Wellington), Cory Jane (Wellington), Alfred Pelenise (Canterbury), Lote Raikabula (Wellington)

- NZPA