Malaysia give Hong Kong a scare in the sun during Asia Rugby Championship scorcher

With little to lose, the energetic Southeast Asian team test the Hong Kong men’s 15-a-side national squad on Saturday

The home team win 30-24 but will need some adjustments to keep their winning record intact in the tournament

Reading Time:2 minutes

Sebastian Brien receives a pass from Callum McCullough during the team’s second match of the Asia Rugby Championship against Malaysia. Photos: Edmond So

Published: 8:11pm, 15 Jun 2019Updated: 2:06pm, 17 Jun 2019

While it will go down as a win, Hong Kong coach Andrew Hall may want to chalk the game up as a bit of a learning experience.

The men’s 15-a-side squad were given a tough time against a rowdy Malaysian side who pushed Hong Kong right to the final whistle, ending in a 30-24 win for the home team on Saturday at the Hong Kong Football Club. As the temperature soared to 33 degrees, Hong Kong led by only three points 27-24 with five minutes left in the second half of their second game of the Asia Rugby Championship.

Jack Neville, who came on during the second half for 20-year-old Paul Altier at fly half, nailed a penalty kick to give Hong Kong a sliver of breathing room as the seconds wound down.

“All credit to Malaysia, they genuinely tested us,” said Hall, who made nine changes to his squad after a 47-10 blitzing of South Korea last weekend in Incheon. “And I think that was what we needed, when you consider Malaysia are also 15 to 20 points better at home it gives us something to think about moving forward.”

Four players got their caps for Hong Kong in the win, including winger Sebastien Brien, who has already earned a senior sevens cap, Hong Kong Football Club duo Mitch Andrews and Keelan Chapman and U20 captain Sam Tsoi. Hall was pleased they got the win, and gained a valuable insight on his boys in the process.

Jack Parfitt breaks through a Malaysian tackle on Saturday at the Hong Kong Football Club.

“We tried some new combinations today and gave some opportunities for some new players to show their worth and show their capabilities. And I think we will have to look carefully as to what extent those combinations worked.”