Both sides come away happy as feisty HK pull out all stops

Everyone was a winner yesterday. The scoreboard read Japan 45, Hong Kong 22, but in truth there were no losers at the end of the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five encounter at Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley yesterday.

There were pre-match fears that Hong Kong would just be making up the numbers as Japan, playing their first game this season, began their title defence. And it looked that way in the first half as Japan ran in five tries to lead 31-3 at the break.

But then the tide turned. Hong Kong outscored Japan three tries to two in the second half as Asia's World Cup representatives began to look a bedraggled side as passes were spilled and mistakes flooded into their play.

And with Singapore referee Harry Mason running a tight, and to Japanese eyes, a strange ruler over his interpretation of the scrummaging laws, the visitors were reduced to disarray in the area which mattered most. For a time, mighty Japan resembled mere mortals.

Coach John Kirwan realised his team had plenty of work to do before 'rusty' Japan would be World Cup-ready. But he was not unhappy; indeed, he was just the opposite.

'The only positive out of this game was we came away with a win. But I'd rather this happen now than later,' said Kirwan referring to Japan's lengthy build-up before the World Cup gets underway in New Zealand in September.