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Break has done us a world of good - Rees

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Gold medal contenders Japan and South Korea will arrive in peak form for the rugby sevens competition this weekend, but Hong Kong head coach Dai Rees remained unworried that his side had missed out on a final tune-up in Sri Lanka last weekend saying the break had given his squad much-needed breathing space.

Hong Kong returned from the Borneo Sevens in Kota Kinabalu three weeks ago with their heads held high after finishing runners-up to Japan in a hard-fought final. But buoyant spirits were tempered by the fact that five players carried injuries.

'We preferred to give the Sri Lanka tournament a miss so that the guys could have an extra week off before the East Asian Games,' Rees said. 'And it has worked perfectly for us with all the players who were under an injury cloud having fully recovered.' The biggest worries had centred around ball-winning forward Kwok Ka-chun, who had a hamstring injury.

However, Kwok, a fireman, was passed fit last weekend and will take his part in the 12-strong squad for the EAG at the Hong Kong Stadium. 'Thankfully he is now fit and ready to go. It is the same with Jeff Wong who has recovered from a shoulder injury, Keith Robertson [popped rib], Rowan Varty [dead leg] and Tsang Hing-hung [lower back]. They have all been given the green light,' Rees said.

Japan won the Sri Lanka Sevens in Colombo defeating a Malaysian team packed with Fijian players 26-7 in the final. The Japanese, ranked number one in Asia, are favourites to win the gold medal at the EAG on Sunday.

But Rees remained confident. He believes crowd support and a fully fit team will make for an irresistible combination.

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