Hong Kong aim to spring surprise against tough Uruguay

Captain Nick Hewson and his forwards will hold the key to Hong Kong's fate in the biggest game in their history against Uruguay in the first qualifying round of the World Cup repêchage in Montevideo on Saturday (02:45 on Sunday Hong Kong time).

Stand-in head coach Andy Hall said the key to taking the next giant step to the World Cup in England next year would rest with the pack, which is bound to come under huge pressure.

"Set-piece parity will be the key," said Hall. "They have a powerful scrum and driving game and we need to try to neutralise that where possible to provide us with a platform.

"Scrum time will be a huge challenge and is a massive weapon for them. A quick hook and getting the ball as swiftly as possible to our number eight will be crucial," said Hall.

Hall will also come under scrutiny after replacing Leigh Jones, who spearheaded Hong Kong's campaign to second place in the Asian Five Nations which earned them the ticket to Uruguay.

Hong Kong arrived in Montevideo on Wednesday after a gruelling 37-hour journey and the players have spent the past few days trying to get their body clocks back and ticking.