Beaten finalists in the last two Middlesex Sevens Saracens are the favourites to make it third time lucky on Saturday.

A late injury withdrawal of fly-half former Springbok Jannie de Beer has disrupted their preparation but the squad will benefit from the experienced Tim Horan as coach.

Kieran Roche has come in in place of de Beer in a squad that also includes Irish wing Darren O'Mahoney, scrum half Nick Walsh, and Japanese international fly half, Kensuke Iwabuchi.

The Eurobet sponsored event is celebrating its 75th anniversary and this year there are no invitation sides invited in a bid to make the tournament more competitive.

All 12 Zurich Premiership sides have entered teams along with National League Division One sides Worcester, Blackheath and London Welsh and the British Army.

The betting reflects the competitive nature of the new format with Saracens 5/2 favourites a strong looking Northampton side are 11/4 Northampton Saints and English 15-a-side champions Leicester are 7/2

Newcastle look a good bet on 13/2 having entered a powerful side and making the semis last year only to be beaten by the Penguins, the eventual winners.

London Wasps also have a good chance and are quoted at 11/2 with Bath on 5/1. Most prolific Middlesex sevens winners Harlequins are 25/1 with the British Army.

Tigers' coach, Dean Richards, is in no doubt about the value of the tournament. "The Middlesex Sevens has always featured highly on our list of priorities and is a competition we take seriously. Hence why we include some of our best players," says Richards.

Leicester's squad, captained by Jamie Hamilton and including internationals Geordan Murphy and Lewis Moody, also features the first appearance for new signing and All Black legend, Josh Kronfeld.

"The beauty of it being in August is that we use it as part of our build up," continued Richards. Last year saw the tournament move to August for the first time in its history.
Northampton, captained by John Leslie, has included new signing and British Lion, Tom Smith, alongside Grant Seely, Nick Beal, and Jon Sleightholme.

"For the past 75 years the Middlesex Charity Sevens has always been more than just a rugby tournament because it's such a great social event as well," said Charles Hogbin, chairman of the charity sevens committee. "The squads in action this year are amongst the strongest I've ever seen, and with fans once again enjoying a pint or two in the stands, our 75th is going to be a year to remember."

The first game of the tournament starts at 11.20 with Bath up against Sale Sharks. The final is scheduled for 18.25.

Tickets are still available. Priced £23 they can be purchased through the ticket hotline, 0871 871 0777 and full details of the tournament can be found on the website, www.middlesex7s.com. There will also be extensive coverage on BBC's Grandstand.

Go to our Middlesex Sevens 2001 site for all the low down on the tournament.