A second-placed finish in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition today will give Hong Kong a boost of confidence as they target a place in the repechage event at the World Cup qualifying campaign next year, says skipper Tom McColl.

Hong Kong will miss giant lock forward Dan Watson and things might not be just so "elementary" when they come up against South Korea in their final outing in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition in Ansan on Saturday.

The fire and brimstone from the Philippines "Volcanoes" lasted a bit longer than expected before it subsided to give Hong Kong an ultimately comfortable 59-20 victory in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition in Manila.

A buzz of excitement surrounding the first home game for the Philippines at the elite level in the HSBC Asian Five Nations has put Hong Kong on guard as they hope to secure their berth in the Top Five competition for next year's 2015 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Hong Kong has again been asked to field a team in Japan's professional Top League - this time by Brave Blossoms' head coach Eddie Jones, who believes a franchise based here would help the national squad close the gap on the perennial Asian champions.

It seemed as if the foundations of the Great Wall had been moved to Hong Kong Football Club yesterday as Japan floundered on a brave and unyielding Hong Kong defensive line at the Asian Five Nations Top Five competition before running out 38-0 winners.

Hong Kong can pose a threat to Japan's dominance in Asia, says Brave Blossoms head coach Eddie Jones, but not today and only if the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union decides to go down the road of professionalism.

Fukuoka, 20, thrilled home fans last Saturday when he scored with his first two touches of the ball after coming on as a second-half substitute against the Philippines. His brace was just a small part of the 18-try, 121-0 romp over the newly promoted side, but he is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Hong Kong flyhalf McAdam was hurt in the opening minutes of last Saturday's opener against the United Arab Emirates but it was thought that his injury was minor. Subsequent examination has confirmed the worst.

It is strange that Hong Kong's 53-7 performance against the United Arab Emirates should be depicted as "ponderous", but there was none of the fluidity expected from an eight-try romp and it was brave of captain Tom McColl and coach Leigh Jones to admit as much after the first hurdle in a crucial campaign had been overcome.

None of the 12 players in the sevens squad is available for the Asian Five Nations, which kicks off today, as they focus on their campaign to become an IRB Sevens World Series core team at next month's London Sevens.

With four convincing wins in their last four meetings Hong Kong are odds-on favourites to crush the United Arab Emirates in the opening game of this season's Asian Five Nations Top Five competition at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday, and opposing captain Brett Williams has candidly admitted that already.

Wei is one of four new faces in the 22-strong squad named yesterday by head coach Leigh Jones, but is the only one who will start. The other debutants are DeA front-rower James Cooper, Hong Kong Football Club flanker Will Hunt and Hong Kong Scottish back Dave Whiteford.

Hong Kong will field a squad missing their Sevens players for the opening game in the Asian Five Nations against the United Arab Emirates at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday but coach Leigh Jones was optimistic the job of staying in the Top Five could be done without the star complement.

Hong Kong's match against South Korea in the Asian Five Nations Top Five competition is under a cloud with the Asian Rugby Football Union (Arfu) and the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) concerned about tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Defending champions Hong Kong have named nine new caps for next month's Emirates Airline Cup of Nations in Dubai as they go in hunt of a back division that will ensure Asia's number two team stay among the elite in the run-up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Young scrum-half Cado Lee will be the centre of attention as the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union takes the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five encounter against Kazakhstan into the 'heart of Kowloon and the local population' tomorrow.

The heartbreaking loss to South Korea in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition on Saturday is the perfect wake-up call for Hong Kong as they look towards qualifying for the 2015 World Cup, top official Trevor Gregory said yesterday.

Hong Kong can expect a huge backlash as a young and hurting South Korean team aim to make a strong statement in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition at Football Club today.

A few years ago, they used to cut off the hands of petty thieves and execute criminals at the dusty, pebble-strewn National Stadium in Kabul. Today those killing fields have turned into a field of dreams for aspiring rugby players in war-torn Afghanistan, a band of whom on Friday had their first taste of international rugby in Dubai.

Afghanistan became the newest rugby playing country in the world this weekend as the International Rugby Board and top Asian officials rejoiced at the healthy state of the game globally.

For the past six months, Phonpasith 'Ollo' Sansayya, has been doing odd jobs in Vientiane so he can raise money to realise a dream - to come to Hong Kong to watch the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

Johnny Zhang Zhiqiang almost singlehandedly won China promotion to the HSBC Asian Five Nations Division Two next year when the recalled star scored 18 points, through a hat-trick of tries and a drop goal, as the mainland defeated Guam 28-18 in the Division Three final in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Hong Kong's celebration over their best-ever world ranking - 27th - was tinged with disappointment that their final opponents in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition, the United Arab Emirates, are still not members of the International Rugby Board.

It is a long way off, but Hong Kong can take a significant step towards realising their goal of one day playing in the World Cup by finishing second in the ARFU Asian Five Nations Top Five competition today.

Injury-hit Hong Kong will be missing winger Rowan Varty as they look to end their HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five campaign in style against the United Arab Emirates at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday.

Coach Dai Rees is savouring the prospect of Hong Kong clinching their first second-place finish in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition when the side take on the United Arab Emirates on May 21.

Barnstorming No 8 Pale Tauti will be one of seven players tasting action for the first time in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition when Hong Kong open their 2011 campaign away to Kazakhstan on Saturday.