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Injury looks set to dent New Zealand's bid for a ninth International Rugby Board sevens series crown as well as their tilt at the World Cup next month.
Coach Gordon Tietjens will fly to San Diego tomorrow night with a patched-up side for this weekend's tournament but his greater concern may be fielding a strong squad for their following event - the World Cup in Dubai in early March.
He planned to spend today doing some "soul searching", with the likelihood of changes to the squad who finished runners-up in the Wellington tournament final last night, pipped 19-17 at the death by England.
"We'll go to San Diego now with a few problems," Tietjens said.
"We'll do our best to find some able replacements to do New Zealand proud if they get that opportunity."
The most clear cut and painful decision surrounds experienced forward Edwin Cocker, who broke his ankle against South Africa yesterday and will be out for several months.
Without his size, New Zealand will struggle to impose the physicality that was a hallmark of their dominance last season.
"Edwin Cocker would have been crucial for my forwards going over to the World Cup," was Tietjens' blunt assessment.
Others with injuries being assessed today were Nafi Tuitavake, who missed the final with a sore ankle, a calf niggle to playmaker Tomasi Cama and the suspected hairline fracture to captain DJ Forbes' lower leg.
Defying pain, Forbes somehow played all three games yesterday in a courageous show of leadership.
"There's a fair amount of pain. I'm quite a religious man so I look to the man up above to push me through," Forbes said.
"It could be a slight fracture but these are the games you live to play for and you find a way to push through it I guess. When I saw the boys giving their guts, all I could do was try my best."
Regulars in last year's series-winning side - Solomon King and Nigel Hunt - missed the Wellington tournament with injury and are unlikely to be in the San Diego squad named tomorrow but could yet be fit for Dubai.
Tietjens can also select one player from each of the New Zealand Super 14 teams to play at the World Cup but must win agreement from that player and his franchise.
- NZPA
