By Matt Majendie BBC Sport Online

New Zealand's captain Eric Rush has downplayed his side's chances in this summer's Commonwealth Games.

The Sevens specialist warned that the absence of a number of big-name players like Jonah Lomu would be detrimental to his team's cause.

Lomu will be called up for the end-of-season Tri Nations tournament along with the rest of the leading All Blacks.

And Rush told BBC Sport Online: "Sometimes we are the favourites but I wouldn't say that's the case this time with us missing fellas like Jonah.

"The Fijians will be. They will have all their top players and that always makes them difficult to beat."

Although playing down his team's chances, the 37-year-old veteran of the game is unperturbed.

He said: "I've always been a fan of being the underdog."

Despite Rush's assertion, New Zealand, as the current number one side in the World Sevens Series, are expected to be the bookies' pre-tournament favourites.

Along with them and Fiji, the major threats will be Australia, South Africa, England and Samoa.

England have become a major force this season, under the tutelage of former league international Joe Lydon.

England threats

"Joe Lydon has done an incredible job for those guys," said Rush.

"They really are the rising stars of the game and, even when they've lost, they've done so in style and that is so important in Sevens."

Among those singled out by Rush are Ben Gollings, the Harlequins wing, and Saracens' Richard Haughton, regulars in Lydon's squad this season.

"Gollings has really impressed me with the way he's played," he added, "and I really rate Richard Haughton. That guy is fast."

New Zealand leave for England on Sunday for the pre-Games tournaments at Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium, where they will come up against their major rivals for Commonwealth gold.

The Commonwealth Games Sevens, meanwhile, take place between 2 and 4 August at the City of Manchester Stadium.