Scotland coach Andrew Ker believes his team's chances of earning the supplemented winners' prize in the £30,000 Dubai International Sevens have been hit by insufficient preparation. Ker's men had just three training sessions before flying out to the Gulf state, and the former Scotland out-half turned coach said: "It is simply not enough."

The Scots, the only team representing a the home nations, face a baptism of fire in their opening game today against the French Froggies. Ker insisted, despite the unofficial title: "They are in effect a national side."

The Scots then play Morocco, and Ker warned: "They could be the hardest side in the group. We played against Tunisia last year in Dubai, and they managed to knock us off our stride with aggressive tackling."

Last up in the pool matches for the Scots will be the Australian Institute of Sport side, who may lack experienced players but are bound to be very fit.

Favourites to come back with the Emirates Trophy and most of the money are defending champions Fiji, while New Zealand are to select a 20-strong sevens squad to take part in a series of tournaments in preparation for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

Ireland's Rowan Brown, an Oxford blue last season, will line out with the Marauders.