ASHLEY Billington set a world record for the most number of tries scored by an individual in an International Rugby Football Board sanctioned match as Hong Kong rewrote the record books yesterday at the 14th Asian Rugby Football Tournament. The Valley winger scored 10 of the 26 tries as Hong Kong blitzed Singapore 164-13. The score was also a record, being the highest at a World Cup qualifying tournament, surpassing Italy's 114-8 win over the Czech Republic in this year's Central European Zone qualifiers. Yesterday's one-way traffic was also the highest score set at the Asian tournament, easily beating the 135-3 win by South Korea over Malaysia at the last ARFT. Billington's personal tally of 50 points is an international record. Fly-half Jamie McKee, who converted 17 tries also rewrote the international record books for the most number of conversions.
The records may have tumbled against opponents who were of a similar strength to perhaps a side like Aberdeen. But while the results may have given some semblance of comfort to Hong Kong, it does not change the fact that they failed to qualify for tomorrow's final.
South Korea assured themselves of their place at the top of Hong Kong's group with a 65-13 victory over Thailand. The victory also saw the Koreans - who beat Hong Kong 28-17 - enter the final where they will play Japan for a ticket to next year's World Cup in South Africa. Hong Kong will meet Taiwan tomorrow in the third place playoff. Billington, who played at full-back yesterday, in a Hong Kong side which saw a lot of positional changes, started impressively when he scored the territory's first two tries in the opening five minutes. That set the tone of the match for Billington and Hong Kong.
Vaughan Going playing out of position at scrum-half, and number eight John Dingley grabbed three tries apiece, Joe Hancock got a brace while Roger Patterson, Isi Tu'ivai, Keith Gauntlet, captain for the day Rodney McIntosh, McKee, Stuart Krohn, Neil Alton and Chris North also dotted down to play their part.