Hong Kong domestic rugby is roaring back. As players increasingly familiarise themselves with new surroundings and coaches ease last-minute recruits into their line-ups, the 2020-21 season is ready to show more than just glimpses of a never-before-seen standard of rugby in the city. Having sized up a couple of opponents by now, round three promises deeper understanding of team tactics and chemistry can become cold-blooded ruthlessness on the field on Saturday. Those who want to extend leads have the opportunity to do so, while others still searching for first wins of the season likewise need to produce a bit of magic. In the Saxo Markets Men’s Premiership, Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers look to open their season account against Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay. Both sides struggled to get footholds in last weekend’s games, with Tigers narrowly losing to Societe Generale Valley and HKU Sandy Bay nullified by Natixis Hong Kong Football Club. This is an opportunity to get out of that bottom third of the table. “Any team can turn over anyone else and it is clear that there is not one club that looks clearly better than others. Every game matters,” said HKU Sandy Bay coach Brett Wilkinson. “You really have to put points up this season, whether that’s by winning or securing a losing bonus point if things don’t go your way. I think those points are going to be critical by the end of the league. Wilkinson, who was pleased with the team’s defensive shift against the reigning champions last week, nonetheless identified discipline as a big area for improvement. “We really gave them a leg up with our penalties and that left us hanging to chip away at them for the rest of the game. I think we need to trust ourselves a bit more with the ball in hand,” he said. “[Tigers] are a club we really respect and are well-coached and have recruited really well in the off-season. They have so many good players and we have to be aware of them at all times, but the focus is always on us to get our own game right,” Wilkinson said, adding that without strong, early set-piece play, “you are going to really struggle in the Premiership”. Elsewhere, Football Club eye maintaining their 100 per cent record against a dangerous DAC Kowloon, while Valley likewise want to stay joint-top after facing an ever-improving Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish. The margins are just as tight in the KPMG Women’s Premiership after last week’s shock result between Tigers and Valley Black, breaking the latter’s 15-game unbeaten streak . Player-coach Bella Milo is aiming for a statement performance against in-form Gai Wu Falcons this weekend. Gai Wu are alongside Tigers in leading the table having comfortably beaten Kowloon. “We were outclassed by the better team on the day. We didn’t show up physically and didn’t make our contacts individually,” Milo said, hoping her team makes more use of their line-outs in future. “The positives are that it was game two and we can learn a lot from that. A few girls will be hurting this week but it’s important we learn from it and move forward. If anyone knows Valley they know we don’t give up after one loss. We’ve been top or top two over the last six years I’ve been here. “Before my time here, I think Valley had a 52-game winning streak, so there’s history there and there’s a winning mentality in the Valley jersey. Last weekend was a setback – we didn’t show up and we didn’t adjust to the referees. We will do our homework and show up this time.” Gai Wu, who have a league-high points difference of 72 after just two games, have come out very strong after last season’s third-place finish. With the Premiership more open than ever, they are slowly proving to be among the favourites. “Again, our history with Gai Wu has always been a tough battle so it will be another tough game, which is what we need,” Milo said. “Gai Wu are coming off two wins so we will need to front up physically and get our set-piece right.” Later that evening, Tigers host SCAA Causeway Bay Phoenix in a fiery top-versus-bottom-of-the-table clash, while HKFC Ice look to climb the ladder at the expense of Kowloon. Round three fixtures Men Tigers vs HKU Sandy Bay, 2pm at King’s Park HKFC vs Kowloon, 3.30pm at Hong Kong Football Club Valley vs HK Scottish, 4pm at Tin Shui Wai Community Ground Women Valley Black vs Gai Wu Falcons, 5pm at So Kon Po Recreation Ground Tigers vs SCAA Causeway Bay Phoenix, 6pm at King’s Park HKFC Ice vs Kowloon, 6.15pm at Hong Kong Football Club