South Korea will field a number of their top 15s internationals and will present a formidable challenge to Hong Kong at this weekend's 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens Asian qualifiers at Hong Kong Football Club.
Eight of the 12-man Korean squad played at this year's Hong Kong Sevens, including scrumhalf Yang Young-hun who is also the number one choice in the national 15s team.
Hong Kong are drawn to meet Korea in the semi-finals in the 12-team men's tournament where the two finalists qualify for the World Cup in Dubai next March. The teams are drawn into four pools of three in the preliminary round.
'We knew they would send their best side as this is a World Cup qualifier,' said Ivan Torpey, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union's head of performance. 'They will be a force to be reckoned with.'
Hong Kong, seeded third, are drawn with Sri Lanka and India in the preliminary rounds. Second seeds Korea have Taiwan and Singapore as their first day opponents on Saturday.
The Korean squad will also include speedy winger Kim Sung-soo and forward Chae Jae-young, who both figured in the inaugural Asian Five Nations campaign earlier this year where they finished second to Japan.
'Korea always are difficult opponents and will be tough to beat. But right now we are focusing on our pool opponents. We will worry about Korea after day one,' Torpey said.
