The first step towards winning a historic team gold medal was a bit nervy, but Hong Kong' rugby sevens team were still too strong for Malaysia, easing to a comfortable 38-10 win in their opening pool game yesterday.
A brace of tries from Rowan Varty, Anthony Haynes and Salom Yiu Kam-shing gave Hong Kong what in the end was a comfortable scoreline. But the Mark Wright-led team will know they will have to tighten up their act when the knockout stages get under way tomorrow.
'It was a good win. Yes, there were a few mistakes but we tend to start like that and to be fair to Malaysia, they put us under pressure,' Hong Kong head coach Dai Rees said.
Varty settled nerves in front of a large crowd at the Guangzhou University Town main stadium when he scored the first of Hong Kong's six tries, bursting down the middle. Haynes added a second to lead 14-0.
But it wasn't all a one-way street. Hong Kong were starved of possession, and also lost two of their own lineouts. The trouble at the set pieces was highlighted when from a scrum, Malaysia scored from a blindside break, catching the defence napping.
Hong Kong led 14-5 at half-time and the result was put beyond doubt when Haynes and Varty completed their double soon after the break. Yiu then got into the try-scoring picture.
