Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 kicks off on Thursday at Dubai's brand new sports complex 'The Sevens', the first of three thrilling days of world class men's and women's action.
The first 12 pool matches will be played in the men's competition on day one and some of them will be key in deciding the make-up of the Melrose Cup quarter finals.
Whereas the top two in each of the four women's pools proceed to the Cup quarter finals, only the pool winners in the men's competition are guaranteed Melrose Cup quarter final places on the third and final day.
Those six teams will be joined by the two best runners-up, making a few of the men's encounters on the first day must-win games for sides harbouring genuine aspirations of proceeding to the last eight, and beyond.
Barring an outrageous upset, the top six seeds should all progress relatively untroubled past their opening day challenges. South Africa face Japan, Fiji play Georgia, New Zealand take on Italy, England play Hong Kong, Argentina take on fellow South Americans Uruguay and Samoa play Ireland.
The other six matches, however, feature the second and third-ranked sides in each pool and could go a long way to deciding the make-up of the quarter finals.
Wales face Zimbabwe in the tournament's opening match, having beaten them 26-12 in their only previous encounter this season in Dubai, Kenya play Tunisia in an all-African affair, an improved Scotland side takes on a Canadian outfit being co-coached by national 15-a-side boss Kieran Crowley and Tonga line up against the Arabian Gulf. The remaining two matches, however, look the tightest of all.
France - USA
So far this season France have flattered to deceive, not yet reaching the last eight in a Cup competition compared with the USA's achievements in reaching two Cup quarter finals and a semi final.
Al Caravelli's side will be brimming with confidence following that Cup semi final appearance in San Diego last month, and recall two test caps in Eagles captain Todd Clever and flying wing Takudzwa Ngwenya to further boost their chances.
The French have, however, come off better in the two sides' only previous encounter this season, 22-12 winners here in Dubai at the end of 2008.
They are also vastly strengthened from the regular World Series side and now present an altogether different proposition. Coach Thierry Janeczek recalls test wing Julien Malzieu, who first cut his teeth in the Sevens game, and also the likes of Farid Sid and Laurent Ferreres, who were involved in France's only ever Cup triumph in IRB Sevens rugby on home soil in 2005.
Portugal - Australia
Where else in the world of rugby could Australia and Portugal ever stand toe-to-toe in a genuine contest? And yet in Sevens it is arguably the Portuguese who line up on day one as favourites against the far more illustrious rugby nation.
So far this season, in their two events played, the Portuguese have won a Shield title in Dubai and reached a Cup quarter final in George, where they notably beat Samoa, Kenya and Wales on day one to top their group.
Australia, meanwhile, have also reached one quarter final, here in Dubai, and won their first silverware of the season in San Diego a couple of weeks ago in the Shield.
Day one of the competition also gives the 16 women's teams a final chance to prepare ahead of an historic first ever day of Rugby World Cup Sevens for them.
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