French hurdle for Sevens Boks

Mar del Plata - Four games involving the four southern hemisphere nations on Saturday have the potential to turn into the tournament play-off deciders.

South Africa face France in their fourth match of the World Cup sevens tournament here in an encounter that promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

The three other games tipped to set the Jose Maria Minella Stadium alight see hosts Argentina against Ireland, New Zealand against England and Samoa up against Australia in the last match on day two.

This week, national captain Warren Britz said the Boks would be in trouble if they underestimated the French.

"They can be brilliant if they are on song and pretty bad when things don't go their way. So you never now what to expect from them," said Britz.

"That is what makes them such a dangerous side," added the Bok skipper.

The French would not have forgotten what happened in Hong Kong in 1997 when SA halted their World Cup campaign in the quarterfinal, winning 19-14, although the shorter version of the game cannot be compared to the 15-man code, a New Zealand v England fixture remains a competitive and hard-fought encounter.

Jonah Lomu, the "human lorry" who has tormented England in so many previous 15-man games, is no doubt ready to take them on on his own yet again.

Australia, quarterfinalists at the last World Cup in Hong Kong four years ago, face Samao in the last game on Saturday.

Like SA and New Zealand, Australia have included 15-man code players in their sevens squad.

Sam Payne, the New South Wales Waratahs scrumhalf in the Super 12, is part of the Aussie squad as well.

So too is electrifying wing Brendan Williams, who toured South Africa in 1998 with the Australian under-21 side. Meanwhile, Southern African neighbours Zimbabwe qualified by topping the African zone tournament. One of the players may not be as instantly recognisable as his brother but this Olonga is slowly carving a career for himself in rugby.

Victor, brother of cricketer Henry, is part of the Zimbabwe team destined to do well here, but the Olonga brothers could well have added to the list of siblings already playing for Zimbabwe had Victor not shunned cricket.

"I like the physical stuff. That is what rugby is all about," said Victor after Zimbabwe's final preparation match - they played a friendly against South Africa on Thursday.

Like so many younger players have done before him - Kennedy Tsimba (Free State flyhalf), Olonga opted to move to England where he played for Pirates, a fourth division club in England.

Zimbabwe play Spain in their fourth game on Saturday.

Friday's opening ceremony was different to previous World Cups.

Instead, Vernon Pugh, chairman of world governing body the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the two captains involved in the opening match - Jason Forster (Wales) and Peter Rowan-Hoffman (Portugal) tossed a gold medal to signal the start of the tournament.

South Africa's programme on Saturday

v Georgia (9.40pm SA time)

v France (2am SA time)