Rugby Union: Lydon so eager to rewrite the short story

The chance of winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games was not uppermost in the minds of rugby union players when they turned professional. It is now. England's sevens squad assemble at Mottram Hall in Cheshire tomorrow to begin the final preparation for a competition that promises to be as exacting as anything in track and field.

Only the fittest and the fastest will survive and, with performance-related financial rewards as well as prospecting for gold, England have belatedly taken a long-term interest in the abbreviated game.

"This is a unique opportunity in what should be a special tournament,'' said Joe Lydon, England's coach. Since succeeding the unfortunate Adrian Thompson, who was forced to compete last season on foreign fields with seriously weakened squads, Lydon has enjoyed greater co-operation from the Premiership clubs, and with it some success.

The launch of the International Rugby Board's world sevens series was not met with unqualified support from England but under Lydon the Red Rose has been more prevalent. Their breakthrough victory came in the Hong Kong sevens in March where they beat Samoa, Wales and, in the final, Fiji 33-20. In the former British colony, Henry Paul, the league convert with Gloucester, was the playmaker and his club colleague, James Simpson-Daniel, the prime finisher, with three tries against the Fijians.

It earned Simpson-Daniel almost instant recognition at senior level. He was fast-tracked into the England side who beat the Barbarians at Twickenham, scoring a wonderful try, beating his opposite number Jonah Lomu for good measure. He bruised a foot in the match, an injury which forced him to miss England's visit to Argentina.

"James has resumed training with Gloucester and everything seems to be all right,'' Lydon said. "He really is an exciting prospect and his pace and skills make him ideal for sevens.''

The great Lomu, whose image was used extensively to promote the Commonwealth Games, cannot find a place in either the All Blacks' regular squad or the sevens version. Without him, New Zealand have become No 1 in the world sevens rankings while England have advanced from seventh to third.

Lydon thought about employing Jason Robinson, one of the most dynamic runners in the game, but the Rugby Football Union's performance department decided that the Sale full-back was in need of a rest. "Very few players adapt immediately to sevens and Jason is one of them,'' Lydon said. "With more space and more time he would have been a natural, but he's been playing back-to-back for four years and needs a break.''

However, Lydon has recruited the utility back Marcus St Hilaire from Leeds Rhinos. "He's on a steep learning curve and I'm pleased with his progress,'' Lydon said. "He's a quality player with experience of playing rugby league for Great Britain.''

The squad has already been whittled from 20 to 14, and another two will leave the house on Wednesday when Lydon settles on 12. The top two teams from four groups of four will produce the quarter-finalists in the three-day tournament which starts on 1 August. If all goes to plan, England, pooled with Samoa, the Cook Islands and Kenya, will play either Fiji or Australia in the quarters, South Africa in the semis and New Zealand in the final.

Scotland, coached by Roy Laidlaw, should progress from New Zealand's group, similarly Wales from the Springboks' pool. Wales, coached by the former sevens specialist Colin Hillman, have Rob Howley, now a Wasp following his departure from Cardiff, and Arwel Thomas at half-back.

"In 14 minutes, one mistake or one bit of brilliance can turn a game,'' Lydon said. "There are half-a-dozen sides capable of winning gold. Even so-called weaker countries can make an impression in sevens. The players will hardly have time to catch their breath. The level of competition is unbelievable and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night worrying about whether I've got everything in place.''

Lydon, the former Wigan and Great Britain stalwart, is not unaccustomed to sevens success. He helped coach the Wigan side who won the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham in 1996.

Wigan will be back at headquarters for the Middlesex sevens on 17 August, when they will be joined by another guest side, the Bradford Bulls. That raises the possibility of Bradford's Robbie Paul playing against his brother Henry, as Gloucester are also in the tournament. Should it arise, this would be the first time they have competed against each other.