Young guns promise bright future for our abbreviated game
It is encouraging to know that the next generation of Rowan Vartys and Keith Robertsons are already on the production line and ready to roll out when needed.
It is encouraging to know that the next generation of Rowan Vartys and Keith Robertsons are already on the production line and ready to roll out when needed.
The crowning last week of the Hong Kong U20 side as Asian sevens champions is a sign that the future of the abbreviated version is in safe hands and that we will always be up with the best when it comes to regional dominance.
A six-man Hong Kong junior squad got the better of South Korea to win the final leg of the Asian Rugby Football Union U20 Sevens Series at King’s Park, which together with their victory in the opening leg in Johor Bahru, was more than enough to win the overall title.
While the inevitable sight of Hong Kong playing without their full complement is a worry, what was reassuring was that the youngsters showed enough composure for 12 minutes after scrum-half Jason Jeyam had been red-carded for a foul.
This maturity is another good sign for this class of 2014. It would have been so easy for a bunch of teenagers to panic when down in numbers, but their self-possession proves that they have cool heads and were capable of dealing with the situation as it unfolded.
At the end of the day, this equanimity is the difference between winning and losing when the chips are down. It is easy to triumph when you are dominant in every facet of the game but more often than not at the highest level, it is the ability to change your game plan on the run, or the capacity to move on to Plan B that is telling.
A true champion is one who is willing to buck the trend and is able to recognise in the heat of the action that sticking to the game plan might not be the best option. He, or she, must have the vision and the courage to change the course of action if things are not going to plan.
Having composure is the first step in this quest. If you are calm when all around you is chaos, it gives you an upper hand – and the U20s have shown they have that ability.
This has been recognised by Gareth Baber who says this fresh crop of talent can push the established crew at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
A delighted Baber said: “This group of players will put pressure on the senior squad, who will have to fight to keep their positions. That type of pressure from below is what ultimately improves performance.”
The HKSI sevens head coach is right. Complacency can set in if you feel that you are indispensable knowing that there is no one else capable of replacing you.
But if you have a bunch of young and hungry players snapping at your heels for your place, it will be the perfect tonic to keep you sharp and on your game.
The talent pool at the HKSI is bound to increase significantly soon. More players are expected to be put on contract early in 2015 and this will be useful, if and when, we qualify for a core team spot in the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Bar from qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, playing in all the legs of the World Series is our most pressing need. In March, we will have another go at reaching the promised land when we take part in the 12-team qualifying tournament.
Unless World Rugby makes a last-minute change, there will be only one place up for grabs so we will have to be on the ball. The presence of a group of young players, who have shown their courage under fire, will be an invaluable asset.
