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115 million is the number of reasons to be excited about the USA Sevens in Las Vegas this weekend.

That's the number of households in America the tournament will be broadcast to, live on NBC, as the 16 teams roll into the entertainment capital of the world for the second time. "History is being made, the first-ever live network TV rugby event, and we have arrived" said Tournament Director Dan Lyle.

"Four years ago USA Sevens set put on a journey to bring our event to the masses. Vegas is iconic, it's known and it allows you to reach out to different people and attendance at this year's USA Sevens is expected to be the biggest ever."

The downside of this development is the demands this puts on the players, with the top eight teams playing four matches on the first day (rather than the usual three) to squeeze in a Cup quarter-final and allow the Final to be broadcast live.

Gordon Tietjens, coach of the joint leaders of the HSBC Sevens World Series, says he is very concerned about the impact on players. "We played in a tournament late last year (as Emerging New Zealand) with four games in one day and we lost three players out of the tournament all together on Day One," said the veteran Kiwi coach. "Four games in one day is pretty tough on the players as the game of Rugby Sevens now is confrontational and very physical."

The narrow (58m) pitch will also be a factor in round four, with Tietjens one of several coaches devising a game plan based more on confrontation that speed on the flanks. However, USA coach Al Caravelli says rugby is rugby, and he for one won't be changing his style. "It's still rugby and you still need your fundamentals, to dominate the contact area, to pass to the open man and your good lines of running," said Caravelli. "However you need to be sharper and make your tackles as it will be more of a forward game. Samoa didn't change their style last year and they won the tournament. At the end of the day it's the same size pitch for everyone."

The reigning champions will first need to get through a South African side bolstered since Wellington in pool play and then either Fiji or Australia at the end of Day One.

The dark horses this weekend will come from this group of four with Australia, whose confidence will be high after reaching the semis in Wellington, and South Africa, who are desperate to get back in the winner's circle for the first time since Adelaide in 2009, a good bet in this gambling haven.

However, England and New Zealand should progress to the quarters on Day One (where they are likely to meet Wales and Argentina respectively) and will be odds-on to continue their rivalry in the showpiece Cup Final which screens live on Sunday afternoon.

Chilly weather has greeted the 16 teams, with the cold winds easing in time for Saturday leading to a forecast high of 19 degrees Centigrade (66F). Organisers are expecting a crowd of up to 25,000 each day.

Pool A

England has drawn the easiest of the four pools, with Argentina, France and Guyana expected to be little trouble to the joint leaders and top seeds. Debutant Mark Odejobi, a 23-year old flanker from London Wasps who made his 7s name on the National Series last year with the Gilbert Pups, replaces Isoa Damudamu, who has a shoulder injury, so much will be expected of lumberjack forwards James Rodwell, Chris Cracknell and Tom Powell on the narrow pitch.

Rodwell wants to reach his fourth successive final, and go one better than Wellington. "Our goal is to win the title and we've been training hard and hopefully things will come into place," he said. "Four games on the first day will be tough and it will be how well the squad can manage. Teams will be looking to rotate players and give them a rest for the quarter finals".

Argentina, buoyed by a narrow 7-14 loss to England in the quarters at Wellington, may be a threat as they always lift for the tournament that is closest to home. Argentina has won the USA Sevens twice, in 2004 in Los Angeles and 2009 in San Diego. However, France who haven't made the top eight since May 2009 and Guyana, in their first international event since the Commonwealth Games, are likely to find the going tough.

Pool B

Managing without inspirational captain DJ Forbes will be the challenge for New Zealand, the winners of the USA Sevens in 2005 and 2008, but his replacement is reasonably confident that the team will lift without him. "We know there is a big task ahead without DJ but the boys are making my job a lot easier," said Lote Raikabula, who plays his 39th tournament, the most in the current squad. "We were really happy with the result last weekend although I'm a bit nervous about Uruguay to be honest. We don't know much about them but they will probably play like Portugal or Argentina which is to go hard all day."

Rory Grice joins the squad for his first tournament to replace Forbes. Wales, defeated 7-26 by New Zealand in the quarterfinal in Wellington, should be the other team to qualify in the group that also includes Kenya, although the fanatical Kenyan fans could prove crucial to the Africans who won the Bowl last weekend, their first points of the season. Lavin Asego and Lawrence Buyachi join the Kenyan team after missing out of the New Zealand leg through work and study commitments. Minnows Uruguay play their first IRB Sevens tournament in almost two years and will be looking to develop players for the Pan-American Games later in the year.

Pool C

Australia and Fiji will provide one of the highlights of pool play at Vegas, and although they are only 6th compared to Fiji's 4th, the momentum is with the Aussies after their semi-final performance last weekend.

Zack Holmes has replaced Henry Vanderglas in the only change to the sixth-placed Australia while Fiji has brought in Nikola Matawalu and after injuries to Semesa Gonevou and Apisai Navuoro in Wellington. Playmaker Ilai Tinai has been laid low with shingles since arriving in the USA and Fiji are seeking to bring in a substitute, potentially former international Filimoni Botitu, who is playing in Seattle. "The two new guys are getting into the swing of things and we'll look at the make up depending on the situation," said under-fire Fiji coach Iliesa Tanivula. "It's horses for courses this weekend."

Canada can expect plenty of support, with over a dozen teams from north of the border participating in the Las Vegas Invitational, and could tip over Scotland for the first time in six years.

Pool D

The home team will be the crowd favourites as they square off against two of the giants of the Sevens world, and rising powerhouse Japan, but coach Caravelli is not fazed by the pressure of performing on the Vegas stage. "Pressure is self-imposed and when the crowd chants "USA, USA" that fires us up and is worth a couple of tries," he said. "

It's a tough pool with last year's world champions (Samoa), a team we've never beaten (South Africa) and a team that's been in Vegas preparing for over a week (Japan). We need to focus on our fundamentals and take one game at a time."

Uale Mai has joined the Samoan squad from Spain, and although he bizarrely denies he is playing, the 67-tournament veteran has been named in the squad and will take over the leadership role left vacant by the suspended Lolo Lui.

Cecil Afrika and veteran Neil Powell rejoin the Blitz Bokke with coach Paul Treu saying the addition of this experience (Powell has 26 tournaments and Afrika is the leading scorer this season) will be vital to the team. Paul Delport and Boom Prinsloo are the injured players who are replaced. Japan, the Asian Games champion, play their first tournament of the current season with a development team already geared to think about Rio 2016.

International Sevens brought to you by Herbalife, nutrition for a better life

Nick Jordan is in Las Vegas thanks to Air Pacific, the world's friendliest airline, and the Hard Rock Hotel

Pools

A: England, Argentina, France, Guyana

B: New Zealand, Wales, Kenya, Uruguay

C: Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Canada

D: Samoa, South Africa, USA, Japan

HSBC Sevens World Series Table

England 64

New Zealand 64

Samoa 52

Fiji 48

South Africa 36

Australia 30

Argentina 18

Wales 18

USA 6

Scotland 4

Kenya 4