Manu Samoa Sevens task to overcome a tough pool in the Hamilton 7s this weekend will be tested as France have named a strong line-up and Fijian playmaker Jerru Tuwai returns to the World Sevens Series.

Fiji and Samoa are pitted against each other in Pool A.

After six long years of waiting, Manu Samoa Sevens won their first Series Cup title in Cape Town in December and, unsurprisingly, head coach Muliagatele Brian Lima has kept faith with the same squad, including this season’s joint-top try-scorer Vaa Apelu Maliko.

Manu Samoa are currently tied with South Africa at the top of the men’s standings, on 47 points.

Former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, Jerry Tuwai, will make his seasonal debut on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series after being named in Ben Gollings’ Fiji squad for this weekend’s tournament in Hamilton.

The double Olympic gold medallist has missed the last five tournaments on the Series – in London and Toulouse at the end of last season due to illness – and the first three rounds of the 2023 campaign due to injury.

Tuwai, 33, played at the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens, where Fiji won gold, but has missed by Fiji on the Series.

Fiji, winners in Hamilton in 2018 and 2019, began the 2023 Series with a runners-up finish in Hong Kong but fell flat in Dubai and Cape Town.

Failing to medal in the last two rounds has left them in fifth place, seven points behind Samoa, who they meet in the pool stages of a World Series tournament for the first time since this tournament was last staged in Hamilton three years ago. France and Kenya are also in Pool A.

Other notable names in the Fiji squad include Josua Vakurinabili, Sevuloni Mocenacagi and Waisea Nacuqu.

South Africa welcome back playmaker Selvyn Davids missed the last two rounds but is back for his 29th Series tournament as the Blitzboks attempt to win in New Zealand for the first since they were victorious in Wellington in 2017.

Jaiden Baron makes his Series debut for the joint leaders who line up in Pool D with Argentina, Spain and Canada.

South Africa will be without a few key names with their most-capped player Branco du Preez having retired from international sevens after the Cape Town round, while Muller du Plessis and JC Pretorius having left the programme to focus on 15s.

With three tough games scheduled, assistant coach Philip Snyman is under no illusions as to the enormity of the task ahead.

“Everyone knows there are no easy games anymore,” he said.

“Like we had in Cape Town last month, we again have Canada first up and there it took us six minutes to score our first try, so we know it’s not going to be easy. But I think if we hold onto our ball and defend the way we can, we have enough firepower to get over the line.

“Spain also showed in their opening match in Cape Town, where they beat New Zealand, that they have something to prove under their new coach. Their playing style is a little bit different, and we need to adapt to that as quickly as possible.

“But we’re taking things game by game. We want to lay a foundation against Canada and build on that.”

New Zealand are defending champions in both the men’s and women’s competitions and will be looking forward to putting their best foot forward in the last World Series tournament hosted in the country before next season’s change of format.

A gold medal has eluded New Zealand’s men in the first three rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023, in Hong Kong, Dubai and Cape Town, where they won silver, and head coach Clark Laidlaw would love to put that right this weekend.

 Samoa will face Kenya at 9.54am, France at 1.22pm and Fiji at 4.06pm on Saturday January 21.