Scotland to close Glasgow 7s Day 1

Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s defending champions and World Series leaders, New Zealand, and hosts Scotland will conclude proceedings on day one of the penultimate leg of the 2012/13 HSBC Sevens World Series in Glasgow, it has been confirmed.The two teams will lock horns at 7.21pm on Saturday 4 May, only the second time they will have met this season, the first being in the Nelson Mandela Bay 7s last December, where New Zealand won 14-7.Scotland will also face Portugal, at 1.04pm in their opening match, and then England at 4.10pm, in first day’s group matches before the tournament progresses to the knockout stages on Sunday 5 May.Scotland 7s head coach Stephen Gemmell said: “In Glasgow we must pull out six quality performances and reach our target to qualify for another Cup quarter-final.”It is in our own hands to achieve that goal, but there is no doubt a big home support behind us will give us a push.” The Glasgow tournament will be crucial in deciding which of the current teams will need to re-qualify as core teams next season, with hosts Scotland near the danger zone.At the final round of the Series, the London Sevens the core teams ranked 13th, 14th and 15th after Glasgow, will play off for three available core team places next season with Asian champions Hong Kong, Russia, Zimbabwe, Tonga and Georgia – a scenario every core team wishes to avoid.Currently Scotland and USA are tied in joint-12th place, currently ahead through tournament rules.In Glasgow, Tokyo champions South Africa head Pool A and face Samoa, Kenya and Canada on day one.Tough pool for hostsTournament hosts Scotland are drawn in Pool B, which is headed by New Zealand and also features auld enemy England and Portugal.The bronze winners in Tokyo, Australia, start in Pool C with matches against Hong Kong champions Fiji, Argentina and Spain.France were the first team drawn into Pool D and they face USA, Wales and the Rugby World Cup Sevens hosts, Russia.After seven of the nine rounds in the 2012/13 Series, defending champions New Zealand lead with 132 points from South Africa in second place on 100. Fiji are third (98), Samoa fourth (94) and Kenya and France tied in fifth (77).