Hong Kong end Nations Cup rugby campaign with thrilling come-from-behind win over Uruguay
City side defeat higher-ranked South Americans having been 26-13 down at half-time and after earlier losses to Samoa and Chile
Hong Kong’s men have ended their Nations Cup in South America on a high, producing a thrilling fightback to beat Uruguay 42-40 in Montevideo on Saturday.
Trailing 26-13 at half-time, Logan Asplin’s side appeared destined to lose for the third week in a row, having been beaten heavily by Samoa and Chile, only to stun their opponents, who are ranked seven places higher and have appeared at the past five Rugby World Cups.
Paul Altier kicked a long-range penalty at the death to seal a famous victory, in a game that featured six lead changes and swung back and forth from the start.
“We’re delighted,” Josh Hrstich, the Hong Kong captain, said. “It’s been a tough four weeks for us, searching for that performance that we can really hang our hat on and show the rugby world what we can do.
“There have been a lot of questions about who we are and whether we deserve to be here. I think today we showed the world we are a team to be reckoned with when we want to turn up.”
The home side were well in control early on, largely thanks to hooker Joaquin Myszka, who scored a hat-trick inside 25 minutes, crossing twice from close range and once from a powerful maul. Manuel Diana, the No 8, added another as Los Teros built a commanding advantage by the break.