Duley recalled to face Japan in place of unlucky Alton
HONGKONGBANK officer Leighton Duley is likely to fill the vacancy in the territory's rugby union front row left by the withdrawal of unlucky Neil Alton for the away game against Japan in the new Pacific Rim Championship.
Tight-head prop Duley, a former Hong Kong captain, is a surprise selection into the 21-strong squad bound for the Tokyo date against Asian champions Japan on May 11.
He was drafted in after Alton broke a finger last Thursday, soon after being picked for the team. Alton has been ruled out for one month.
National coach George Simpkin, who announced only 20 players last Thursday night, added the final name of Aberdeen backrower Mike Rarere yesterday.
Forwards Duley and Rarere complete the team but there are also doubts over the fitness of scrum-half Stephen Kidd who has a stress fracture in his ankle.
If Kidd is declared unfit, Simpkin has decided to call up Aberdeen scrum-half Richard Cook. A decision will be taken tomorrow.
Simpkin has the option of playing either utility back Warren Warner or fly-half Robin Bredbury at scrum-half - both players taking on the role for one half of yesterday's trial match.
Simpkin said: 'I would prefer to bring in Cook as a specialist scrum-half if Kidd is not fit. I can't afford to take Warner solely for this position as he is a reserve for many positions in the backline.' Simpkin defended his surprise selection of Duley, saying that it was a stop-gap measure and that Alton's injury had left him no other option.
He said: 'We are short in the front row and have no other options. Leighton [Duley] has enough experience to fit in immediately.' If Duley starts against Japan, the Hong Kong front row will comprise himself, hooker Alan Clark and loosehead prop Rob Grindlay.
But veteran Dave Lewis stands in the way of Duley's comeback.
Duley captained Hong Kong during the 1992 season, and led the territory on a warm-up tour to the United States before the 1992 Asian Rugby Football Tournament in South Korea. The only survivors of that tour in the Hong Kong squad are Stuart Krohn and Grant Jamieson.
The tough little New Zealander left Hong Kong later in 1992, being posted by HongkongBank to Canada. He returned here last month.
Duley started yesterday's trial match as a touch judge. But Simpkin called him up at half-time, along with new hooker Marco Tarquini.
Tarquini, a former Bath and Orrell player, looked impressive in his 40 minutes trial. But Simpkin resisted the temptation to pick him for the Japan away game, although it is certain that he could soon be playing a major part in the rest of the Pacific Rim campaign.
'I have not seen enough of him. But I hope he is available for the Developing Players XV,' Simpkin said.
The Developing Players XV, who will go on tour to Perth next month, provided the opposition for the senior squad yesterday and matched them for long periods of play in the second half.
In this period, play was fragmented as the Hong Kong squad struggled to find fluidity and were unable to keep the continuity going until late in the game when the best try of the match was scored.
The best try came late in the game in a move started by Rick Muik. He took a clearance just inside his own half, and started a sweeping move where forwards and backs strung together at least 20 passes before Vaughan Going touched down. The final score was 50-12 in favour of the seniors.
Hong Kong team (for Japan) Leighton Duley, Alan Clark, Rob Grindlay, Dave Lewis, Roger Patterson, Stuart Krohn, Brent Edwards, John Dingley, Rick Shuttleworth, Duane Davis, Mike Rarere, Stephen Kidd, Robin Bredbury, Vaughan Going, Isi Tu'ivai, Mark Solomon, Rodney McIntosh, Warren Warner, Joe Hancock, Rick Muik, Rob Santos.
