Departing Solomon takes one last shot at selectors

Hong Kong outcast Mark Solomon left the SAR last night - having packed his bags for England - sorry that his international playing career had ended on a low note. And in a parting shot, the burly centre accused selectors and coaches of 'not having the ability to communicate with players'.

Solomon, 32, walked out on the national team after he was named on the bench for a 2003 Rugby World Cup first-round qualifying match against the Arabian Gulf in April. He was later dropped from the national squad for the rest of the season and missed playing against Taiwan and China in the second round.

'I don't regret what I did, but I wish I had finished on a high note,' Solomon said yesterday, breaking his silence on the controversy for the first time. 'Looking back, I feel that I should have bitten the bullet and just played. But I did what I felt was right.'

The 1999-2000 Player of the Year was surprisingly dropped from the starting lineup against the Gulf with the selectors preferring Chan Fuk-ping. Solomon, who represented Hong Kong on close to 100 occasions at both 15s and sevens, said: 'I could not turn up for a practice session on a Saturday as I had to work.

'I had informed the selectors about my unavailability for training but they said if I didn't turn up, I would not be picked for the starting lineup. I felt this hardline stance was totally unreasonable.'

The DeA utility revealed that he had also been hurt when a selector had said 'we don't know what you will do when you get the ball, whether you're going to run or going to pass'.

'I felt as if I was wasting my time, to hear this after having played eight seasons in Hong Kong. The selectors and coaches have lost the ability to communicate with the players,' he said.