England Sevens coach Joe Lydon is hoping his depleted side get their fair share of luck during the latest round of the World Sevens Series in Hong Kong.

The England management have identified the Hong Kong tournament as a crucial stage in the development of the squad with Commonwealth gold medal ambitions.

Sevens rugby has an unprecedented billing at the Manchester Games, closing the tournament after it made such an impact at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and England, like all the other major nations, have geared their IRB World Sevens Series campaign towards it.

But England have been hampered by selection difficulties and their plans went awry last week when Henry Paul, Iain Balshaw and Ben Gollings were all withdrawn from last week's Beijing tournament.

Alex and Pat Sanderson, plus Harry Ellis, also withdrew through injury, meaning a host of new players flew out to join the squad in Hong Kong.

Balshaw did not make the trip - he plays for England A against Wales A tomorrow night - but both Paul and Gollings have linked up with the party and integrated well.

However, Lydon knows he must strike the right balance between ensuring his side are fully prepared and not overworking the newcomers in the crucial hours leading up to their opening game against Japan.

"We've obviously brought five players into the squad since Beijing and it's now finding the right balance between the players without over-training them," he said.

"The acid test will be Saturday's pool games. The key is continuity and an ingredient called luck.

"This tournament is a crucial stage in our preparation for the Commonwealth Games and the experience will stand us in good stead. Hong Kong will have the same atmosphere as Manchester, with its massive crowd and, with the exception of Argentina, the same teams will feature."