Home fans will have an opportunity to salute one of USA’s finest servants this weekend as Kevon Williams prepares to play his 50th series tournament at HSBC SVNS Los Angeles 2024.

Williams, who made his series debut in Dubai in December 2016, is set to follow in the footsteps of team-mate Maka Unufe, who brought up his own half century in Vancouver last weekend.

The 32-year-old, who will become the fourth member of the USA squad in Los Angeles to reach the milestone, has amassed 501 points in his 49 tournaments to date and was part of the Men’s Eagles Sevens teams that won back-to-back Cup titles in Las Vegas in 2018 and 2019.

Williams will hope for similar success in Los Angeles and a run to the latter stages at Dignity Health Sports Park could also help him chalk up his 100th series try. The scrum-half arrives in Los Angeles having crossed the whitewash 97 times.

And there will be more reason for the home fans to cheer should Perry Baker score five tries on home soil.

Two-time World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year Baker starts the tournament third on the all-time list of men’s series try-scorers with 275, just four behind Kenyan legend Collins Injera in second. Former England and Great Britain star Dan Norton remains a clear leader with 358 tries.

Confidence should be high in the USA camp following a fourth-place finish in Vancouver last weekend that included victories over two of their Pool B opponents this weekend, Australia and Samoa.

USA open their campaign in Los Angeles at 20:44 local time (GMT-8) on Friday against Samoa, who they beat 21-7 at BC Place with both Williams and Baker on the scoresheet.

Australia are next up for the hosts on day two (kick-off 11:20 local time), a week after Perry Baker’s late, late try gave them a 26-21 win in Vancouver.

The Men’s Eagles Sevens’ Pool B commitments conclude with an encounter with the All Blacks Sevens at 15:50 local time on Saturday.

Defending series champions New Zealand reached their first Cup final of HSBC SVNS 2024 last weekend, losing to Argentina, and that run came at a cost.

The All Blacks Sevens arrived in Los Angeles without injured trio Tim Mikkelson, Leroy Carter and Akuila Rokolisoa. Debutant Jayden Keelan has been added to the squad while Andrew Knewstubb looks set to play his first series tournament in two years.

Australia are New Zealand’s first opponents at Dignity Health Sports Park on day one (kick-off 20:22) and they will hope the All Blacks Sevens make another slow start.

New Zealand have lost their opening match at their last three tournaments, losing to Canada in Cape Town, France in Perth and South Africa in Vancouver.

South Africa strive for consistency

Argentina will start their quest for a fourth successive Cup title when they take on Spain at 20:00 local time on day one.

Los Pumas Sevens are currently on an 18-match winning run and have beaten Los Leones five times already this season, including in last weekend’s pool stage, although their Cup quarter-final in Perth was closer than the 28-17 scoreline suggests.

South Africa will provide Los Pumas Sevens’ next opponents, at 10:36 local time on day two. The Blitzboks have lost four of their last five series matches against Argentina, however, they did inflict on the South Americans their only defeat of SVNS 2024 so far, in the Dubai Cup final.

Results have trailed off for the Blitzboks since the opening tournament and they failed to qualify for the Cup quarter-finals in Vancouver, finishing the weekend a disappointing ninth.

In the wake of Vancouver, Blitzboks head coach Sandile Ngcobo admitted his team needed to find some consistency on the series and that message is echoed by Ricardo Duarttee’s replacement James Murphy.

“There is a good vibe already. Consistency was a key subject of discussion and will continue to be this week,” Murphy said.

“A lot of hard work has been done and the efforts are real, I am convinced that it will pay off very soon. We will be ready for whatever comes our way this weekend.”

South Africa open their Los Angeles campaign against Ireland at 19:38 local time on Friday. The Irish have won the sides’ two meetings this season and start the weekend second in the overall standings, albeit 24 points behind Argentina.

Ireland are unbeaten in their last four matches against their next opponents Spain (kick-off 10:14 local time on Saturday) and they will hope for another positive result ahead of their final Pool A match against Los Pumas Sevens.

Argentina have won all three of their meetings with Ireland this season, including Cup semi-finals in Cape Town and Perth.

Sofolarin, Barden back for Great Britain

Pool C will lift the curtain on the men’s tournament in Los Angeles on Friday when Fiji take on Great Britain at 18:54 local time.

Fiji start the weekend level on points with Ireland in the overall standings and determined to land their first Cup title of the season.

And Ben Gollings’ side could also be motivated to avenge the 24-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Great Britain in Dubai in December.

That was Great Britain’s first victory in the fixture at the sixth attempt and they could do with a second in Los Angeles as they begin the tournament 10th, 13 points from guaranteed SVNS safety.

Great Britain welcome Femi Sofolarin and Jamie Barden back from injury this weekend as they attempt to build on eighth place in Vancouver.

Following his dazzling displays at BC Place, Antoine Dupont will take another step on the journey he hopes will lead to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 when France play Canada (kick-off 19:16 local time).

Les Bleus Sevens head to Los Angeles with a 16-point cushion between themselves in seventh and ninth-placed Samoa thanks to their bronze medal in Vancouver.

Having finished 12th in three of the four tournaments so far this season, Canada are in desperate need of points to kickstart their own quest for SVNS safety.

And they will line up at Dignity Health Sports Park in the knowledge that they beat France in their only meeting in SVNS 2024, a 33-17 win in Cape Town that secured seventh place.

Canada will then play Fiji at the start of day two (kick-off 09:30 local time) before France meet Great Britain.

The final round of Pool C fixtures pits Great Britain against Canada (14:00 local time) and France against Fiji.

Take part in all of the on-field and off-field action in LA with the HSBC SVNS Predictor Game. Making team and player predictions throughout each weekend, gain points based on their performance and compete against rugby sevens fans from across the world on the global leaderboard.