SO much for the idea of using the Queensland rugby union visit as a build up for next month's Asian Championships in Singapore. That notion has been hurriedly cast aside. The Hong Kong camp were yesterday desperately seeking players, fit and able, to take on the Southern Hemisphere visitors at the Aberdeen Stadium this afternoon (3.30pm) - and to make a match of it. After much scratching of heads by the think-tank led by chairman of selectors Pieter Schats, it was decided that it is better to be safe than sorry - so a number of key players have been 'rested', including flanker Rick Shuttleworth. 'We didn't want to risk it. We are concerned with his knee and decided it was not worth the risk,' said Bob Brown, the Union's coaching director. Shuttleworth joins centre Rodney McIntosh (concussion) and second rower Roger Patterson (neck strain) on the injury list. Rob Santos is also unavailable. Hong Kong have been hard-pressed to field a side. 'Obviously we have not got the depth of players eligible to play in the Asian Championships,' said Allan Payne, executive director of the Union. Only players who have lived here for three years are eligible to play in the Asian Championships - a 1999 World Cup qualifier. Payne's admission is a sad commentary of Hong Kong rugby. So hard-up are Hong Kong that they have once again gone and relied on a couple of players who are not in the frame for Singapore. The selectors have press-ganged Kowloon captain Nigel D'Acre and Football Club lock forward Mario Rovelli into service. The latter must be still bemused. He has been in town for just about a fortnight. Also playing for the first time are backs Isi Tu'ivai, David Wigley and John Clark. They are all eligible for Singapore. Queensland will, meanwhile, start with their strongest lineup for today's game. Kowloon completed a clean sweep of the pre-season tournaments when they won the Aberdeen Sixes yesterday. Kowloon beat Valley I by four points to two to win the senior men's Cup competition at the Aberdeen Stadium. The victory saw Kowloon add the Sixes title to the Kowloon 10s and the Valley 15 bagged in the last fortnight. In the Plate event, DeA II defeated Kowloon II by six points to two. The women's Cup was won by Football Club who, defeated Gai Wu by four points to one. TEAMS Hong Kong: 1-Rob Grindlay, 2-David Lewis, 3-Leighton Duley, 4-Tom Hall, 5-Mario Rovelli, 6-Wes Packer, 7-Steve Thompson, 8-Will Wild, 9-Stephen Kidd (captain), 10-David Wigley, 11-Ashley Billington, 12-John Clark, 13-Nigel D'Acre, 14-Isi Tu'ivai, 15-Chan Fuk-ping. Queensland: 1-Scott Webster, 2-Michael Foley, 3-Andrew Heath, 4-Matt Mitchell, 5-Brent Cobain, 6-Mark Connors (captain), 7-Mark Murray, 8-Jason Stafford, 9-Brett Johnstone, 10-Shane Drahm, 11-Damien McInally, 12-Matt Edwards, 13-Mike Flanagan, 14-Ricky Nalatu, 15-Nathan Williams.
