Vito to spearhead NZ's Hong Kong challenge

Veteran coach Gordon Tietjens has backed the inclusion of Hurricanes squad member Victor Vito to spark New Zealand into life at the Hong Kong Sevens.

Tietjens sprung a surprise when he confirmed the New Zealand team for the Hong Kong and Adelaide legs of the IRB's Sevens World Series last weekend with the inclusion of Vito.

Also included is Chiefs wider training squad member Tim Mikkelson.

Vito was named in the New Zealand team for the Rugby World Cup Sevens earlier this month, after the NZRU had given Tietjens permission to call on one player from each of its five Rebel Sport Super 14 franchises.

But his tournament was cut short with a calf injury.

However, the fact Vito did not make the Hurricanes' tour squad to South Africa thrust him into selection equations for the New Zealand Sevens squad for the upcoming Hong Kong and Adelaide tournaments.

New Zealand are yet to win on the 2008-09 Sevens World Series circuit, sitting in third-place going into Friday night's kick-off in Hong Kong.

And Tietjens was confident the game-breaking Vito would help make a difference.

"We certainly missed Victor at the World Cup in Dubai," Tietjens said.

"He's a great Sevens player, one year of Sevens last year and he was inspirational.

"He commanded a lot of attention from all the other teams because he's big, fast, powerful and obviously has all the ingredients of a great Sevens player.

"We'll need him in Hong Kong, we're going to use him out wide.

"He loves to attack space, loves to run with the ball and let's hope he can really express himself at the weekend."

Vito will travel to Australia next week ahead of the Adelaide leg of the sevens circuit.

New Zealand proved to be almost unbeatable during the 2007-08 series, going on to take out the series title by a landslide margin.

But this season they have been unable to take out one of the first four tournament, with their depth continually tested by injury and unavailability. Their World Cup campaign was ended in the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Wales.

However, a victory at the Hong Kong Sevens would thrust New Zealand back up the points table.

The winner of the iconic three-day tournament will receive double competition points.

"It was pretty disappointing to be knocked out in the quarter-finals of a World Cup but that's the nature of Sevens now and we've got on now, it's the World Series and obviously Hong Kong," Tietjens said.

"It's really important for us, we're right there or thereabouts, third at the moment and 30 points on offer in Hong Kong and it's a huge challenge for us to win back-to-back.

"To win it last year was great and to come back here and win it again now would be awesome."

Injury has again impacted on the 12-strong selection Tietjens confirmed for Hong Kong, including the defection of Viliame Waqaseduadua with concussion.