Rugby Union: Greening leads assault on All Black supremacy

Connoisseurs of the Pacific Island war dance will be spoiled for choice at the City of Manchester Stadium this evening when New Zealand's hot-shot rugby players, feared exponents of the haka, are challenged by sundry Fijians, Samoans, Tongans and Cook Islanders. Even Niue, the entire population of which could fit into a trainer's dug-out, has its version – a natty little number called the takola, which concerns itself with ritual disembowelment among other, less agreeable pastimes.

Disembowelment is about the best the so-called "Savage Islanders" can expect from their scheduled meeting with the All Black seven-a-siders – New Zealand, three-time winners of the World Sevens Series and the reigning Commonwealth champions, are far and away the most advanced practitioners of the short game science – and, with the likes of Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago in the 16-team draw, hidings will be two a penny.

Yet this tournament possesses more world-class clout than the vast majority of the Commonwealth Games programme, for, of the best eight sides in the world, only Argentina are absent. "In terms of intensity, I think we will see something close to Test rugby," Phil Greening, the Wasps hooker and England captain, said yesterday. "It is certainly one of the biggest moments of my career and a wonderful contrast to last year, when I was down in the gutter after being invalided out of the Lions tour of Australia without playing a game."

Greening, who resembles a snooker ball on legs and plays at a pace bordering on the manic, should be one of the sights of the weekend, as should Henry Paul, whose instinctive rugby league skills suit sevens rather than the 15-man game, and Paul Sampson, whose straight-line speed is close to track-and-field level. When these individuals pit themselves against the great All Black Eric Rush and the even greater Fijian Waisale Serevi, not to mention brilliant newcomers like Australia's Tim Atkinson and South Africa's Conrad Jantjes, the sparks will light up the night sky.

With the grace of God and a following wind, England might have fielded a stronger side: it is not the fault of Joe Lydon, their excellent manager, that Lawrence Dallaglio and Jason Robinson ruled themselves out of the running, or that the young Gloucester back, James Simpson-Daniel, failed to make the cut because of an injury suffered at the back end of last season. But as winners of the Hong Kong event in the spring and beaten finalists in the big Cardiff tournament in June, they are in with a definite squeak.

Happily, in view of the traumas of the last seven months, Wales also fancy their chances of making the last four, even though their Lions wing, Dafydd James, withdrew from the squad yesterday. Along with Rob Howley and Arwel Thomas, the Bridgend player would have been central to Red Dragon fortunes, but renewed problems with a fragile elbow cost him his shot at a medal.

Canada, potential quarter-finalists, may be at full strength, however. The experienced Fred Asselin, suspended on Monday after treating a bout of toothache with a pain-killer containing a banned substance, has been cleared of any wrong-doing by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and will play, provided approval is granted by the International Rugby Board.