Sevens men thump NZ in Comm Games tune-up

Australia's men's sevens team has adjusted well to life without "irreplaceable" playmaker Lewis Holland, thumping arch-rivals New Zealand in a Commonwealth Games tune-up.

A hamstring injury will keep Lewis Holland out of next month's Gold Coast Games, just as it did four years ago in Glasgow, in a major blow to Andy Friend's side.

The captain, who also had his 2016 Olympic campaign ruined by a hamstring injury, was instrumental in Australia's victory at Sydney's World Series leg earlier this year.

Holland's teammates say he's impossible to replace but their actions showed otherwise in Thursday's six-tries-to-two defeat of the All Black Sevens in their Sydney practice match.

Teammate Charlie Taylor admitted he had never played alongside someone with the vision of Holland.

But Taylor was one of the many who impressed in Holland's absence against a lethargic New Zealand, running in a try in the confidence-boosting victory.

"Not having Lewi is pretty crucial and we'll miss him, but we showed (on Thursday) we've got plenty of guys who can take on the line and penetrate," Taylor said.

"Chucky (James Stannard) led us out and led us around well and Tom Lucas and Maurice (Longbottom) can take over Lewi's role ... we still have plenty of firepower."

Australia play New Zealand again on Friday, while an entirely different national squad has been selected to play in next week's Hong Kong's World Series leg.

Holland's injury replacement Brandon Quinn is the only Games squad member who will make that trip, with seven players who are set to make their World Series debut.

The men play games against Samoa, Jamaica and England on April 14 and know they need to win all three to assure themselves of a semi-final berth the following day.

The Gold Coast sevens event only sees the top ranked team from each pool qualify for the medal round in a change from Glasgow and Delhi where Australia won bronze and silver medals respectively.

The women arrive in Games camp on Monday and train on the Coast ahead of their first games on April 13.