Rugby Union: All Blacks set standard in high-class field

New Zealand bestride the miniature world of seven-a-side rugby the way Gulliver towered over Lilliput, and are widely expected to extinguish the competition at these Games in the same diuretic fashion that Swift's hero dealt with the fire at the Emperor's palace. The All Black giant himself, Mr J Lomu Esq, rarely condescends to play in the shortened version of union that first earned him an international reputation and will not be in Manchester, but the New Zealanders believe there are plenty more where he came from. It hardly seems fair.

Yet this has the makings of a quality competition, for the very good reason that seven of the top eight exponents in the world are members of the Commonwealth, and four of them – Fiji, Australia, South Africa and England – won tournaments in this year's International Rugby Board series. England, you ask? Too right. They triumphed in Hong Kong, the blue riband event, last March, and reached the final of the Cardiff meeting last month to beat the Fijians, Waisale Serevi and all, to third place in the rankings.

The theory that Jason Robinson and Lawrence Dallaglio would lend their considerable weight to the push for a gold medal went the way of most theories: Dallaglio is still recovering from close-season surgery, Robinson is plain knackered. But with Phil Greening, out of favour in Test terms but a uniquely gifted hooker none the less, leading a squad containing such diverse talents as Henry Paul, Josh Lewsey, Paul Sampson and the blindingly brilliant James Simpson-Daniel, anything less than a semi-final place will be considered a failure.

Of the other home nations, a lightweight Scotland will do well to get past Canada and make the last eight as runners-up to New Zealand in Pool A. Wales, on the other hand, have a more serious look to them. Two Test Lions, the scrum-half Robert Howley and the wing Dafydd James, are on board, as are two outright sprinters in Matthew Robinson, of Swansea, and Gareth Wyatt of Pontypridd. Most significantly of all, they have selected Arwel Thomas, quite the most inventive outside-half of his generation and one of the great bums-on-seats attractions in Welsh rugby.

A worthy top-of-the-bill competition for the last weekend of the Games? Yes, provided the proud players of Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malaysia and Niue (who face the full might of New Zealand, God help them) are still walking by the end of it. People can get hurt in rugby mis-matches, so say your prayers for the no-hopers.