WELLINGTON, 28 January 2004 — New Zealand has turned to a clutch of teenagers including a schoolboy in a desperate search for pace to bolster its world champion rugby sevens team.

The changing of the guard comes as New Zealand prepare for their home round of the international series next week without sevens hero Eric Rush, who is injured, and captain Karl Te Nana, who this week signed a lucrative contract to play in Japan.

“It’s time to bring some youth through,” coach Gordon Tietjens told the Dominion Post newspaper yesterday as he added 17-year-old schoolboy Tanerau Latimer and 19-year-olds Rudi Wulf, Colin Bourke and Michael Rowe to the squad.

“These guys are young, but very mature. They played well over the four days of trials against very experienced players.”

New Zealand have won the International Sevens each year of its four-year existence and lie first equal with England and South Africa after two rounds of the current series despite lacking in the speed department.

However, Tietjens believes his new-look squad can counter the blistering pace of the co-leaders. “These (new) guys recorded the fastest times I have seen. There were six or seven under five seconds” for 40 meters (yards), he said.

Latimer had been on Tietjens hit list for some time and attended two camps last year as a 16-year-old to introduce him to the environment. Dropped are long time servant Jared Going, Alan Bunting and Lifemi Mafi.

The next round of the International Sevens will be held in Wellington on Feb. 6 and 7.

All Black Star McCaw in Doubt for Super 12 Start

In Christchurch, Key All Blacks flanker Richie McCaw is in doubt for the start of the Super 12 competition next month as he recovers from a shoulder operation.

McCaw will sit out his Crusaders sides preseason matches and will leave it to the team medical staff to rule whether he can take the field for the competition opener against the Waratahs at Jade Stadium here on Feb. 21. “I would love to play the first match but it will depend on what the medical staff reckon,” McCaw said yesterday.

“It will be best to get it right now. There’s no use ruining it at the start of the season.”

The bruising tackler had surgery on his right shoulder last month to correct a niggle that plagued him last year.

The injury meant he did not have full movement in the shoulder last year, was unable to participate in weights sessions, and was having cortisone injections every three or four weeks.