With the likes of Joost van der Westhuizen, Bobby Skinstad, Andre Venter, Breyton Paulse and Pieter Rossouw spearheading the South African challenge, national selector Wynand Claassen is expecting big things at the Sevens World Cup in Buenos Aires from January 22.

Claassen told Business Day: "It is in the interests of SA rugby that we do well. This is the showcase of the Sevens game. We lost narrowly (24-21) to Fiji in the 1996 final after demolishing New Zealand in the semifinal.

"We expect a backlash from the All Blacks, with Fiji, Australia, Samoa and SA the other leading contenders.

"We have invited 40 players and will finalise the 10-member Springbok Sevens team next Tuesday evening. The squad will then attend an intensive five-day training camp before flying to Argentina on January 20."

Ten current Springboks and the SA Rugby Football Union's 12 contracted Sevens players will take part in trials on Monday and Tuesday.

Other Springboks involved in the trials are Thinus Delport, Grant Esterhuizen, Deon Kayser, Albert van den Berg and Marius Joubert, who came on as a substitute in the midweek Boks' last tour game against an England Divisional XV last month.

"We have a good chance of making it through to the final," said coach Norman Mbiko. "However, the selectors must ensure we don't fall in the same trap as the New Zealanders when they selected stars like Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen for Sevens and still lost."

Claassen said contracted Sevens players such as Andries Fourie and Jacques Olivier would also be pushing hard for selection.

"Andries is our current Sevens captain. He has a wealth of experience and has played at the World Cup before."