It was a flashy opening presentation, but Hong Kong will want more than just flamboyance from their deadly backline if they are to strip Japan of their crown and claim Asian supremacy for the first time.
Hong Kong returned last night from Dubai with an emphatic 85-10 victory over the United Arab Emirates in the opening match of the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition, a result that sends a clear message to Japan, the region's perennial champions.
It was all splendid stuff from a dangerous backline, led by four-try super winger Rowan Varty and hat-trick hero Ally Maclay, who punched holes at will in a poorly organised defence to register the biggest win for Hong Kong in the history of this competition.
The blistering 14-try rampage was cause for celebration. But it papered over the cracks - where for significant periods Hong Kong looked patchy, unable to string together lengthy phases and failing to dominate a pesky UAE pack in the set pieces and at the breakdown.
With Japan under new coach Eddie Jones in a rebuilding phase after last year's World Cup and fielding an A5N squad with only one overseas-born player, Hong Kong believe this could be the best opportunity to challenge the champions. But despite the scoreline, senior coach Leigh Jones was not exactly over the moon as he felt the cardinal rule of rugby - to play as a unit - was not quite achieved.
'I'm not pleased, but neither am I disappointed,' said Jones. 'It was mostly an individual effort, the team effort was not apparent. We need to see improvements everywhere.'