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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 tonight 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 time doing some "soul searching", with the likelihood of changes to the squad who finished runners-up in the Wellington tournament final on Saturday 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 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 yesterday were Nafi Tuitavake, who missed the final with a sore ankle; playmaker Tomasi Cama, with a calf niggle; and captain D.J. Forbes, a suspected hairline lower-leg fracture.
Defying pain, Forbes somehow played all three games on Saturday 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," said Forbes.
"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 today 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.
In nearly 15 years of coaching the New Zealand sevens rugby team, Tietjens has rarely tasted disappointment to match the opening and closing minutes of the Wellington tournament.
England lifted their first Wellington crown with a thrilling defeat of Tietjens' injured and ill-disciplined men, hitting the front for the first time with seconds remaining on the clock.
Isoa Damudamu crossed to tie the scores and Ben Gollings converted to break the hearts of a New Zealand side who struggled for their best over both days yet somehow looked like claiming a fifth crown in the 10th year of the colourful Westpac Stadium event.
It at least sets up a three-way dogfight at the top of the International Rugby Board series after three of eight rounds, with victors at the first two tournaments South Africa still narrowly in front.
It could be good thing for some of the New Zealand players that the next tournament is this weekend, as Saturday night's near-miss would otherwise linger like a bad odour.
Most culpable is veteran halfback Tomasi Cama, who threw punches at Rob Vickerman with two minutes remaining and New Zealand 17-12 up.
Both players were sinbinned, but the home side's defence that had been staunch throughout the second day couldn't adjust.
- NZPA
