Hong Kong out to lay down World Cup marker
It is a long way off, but Hong Kong can take a significant step towards realising their goal of one day playing in the World Cup by finishing second in the ARFU Asian Five Nations Top Five competition today.
It is a long way off, but Hong Kong can take a significant step towards realising their goal of one day playing in the World Cup by finishing second in the ARFU Asian Five Nations Top Five competition today.
Tom McColl and his men take on surprise contenders United Arab Emirates in a winner-takes-all encounter at Hong Kong Football Club, kicking off at 4pm. With two away wins over Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka, and a feisty 45-22 loss to Japan, Hong Kong go into the game as favourites.
Japan will seal their fourth title with victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo today, but finishing second is nothing to be sneezed at if you look at the bigger picture, which includes the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
Japan are guaranteed a berth in 2019 as the hosts, and this could leave a second spot up for grabs for an Asian team. A similar scenario applies if Japan finish in the top 12 at this year's World Cup in New Zealand, earning automatic entry in 2015 unless the International Rugby Board changes its existing formula.
Hong Kong can today lay down their long-term credentials for the second-best Asian side. But coach Dai Rees is resisting the temptation of contemplating a second-place finish for the first time in this competition.
'I want to focus on performance. This is our biggest game in the Asian Five Nations,' he said.
Rees will welcome back influential second-rower Ollie Jones as the pack looks to overcome a big UAE unit who have been the key to their side's successful season.
Jones, who was injured after the first game against Kazakhstan, passed a fitness test and was included in the starting line-up, which sees a number of changes to the one that ran out against Sri Lanka in Colombo a fortnight ago.
Missing will be injured wingers Rowan Varty and Salom Yiu Kam-shing, with Alex McQueen and Adam Raby filling their places.
In the front row, hooker Alex Harris will start, with Brent Taylor to be used as an impact player.
Rees has asked his forwards to produce 'quality balls at set pieces and contact areas' so that Hong Kong's dangerous backline, led by fly-half Keith Robertson, can take maximum advantage.
Robertson, 24, had a superb outing in the 48-3 win over Sri Lanka, collecting a brace of tries and scoring 17 points, and Rees declared that the pocket-dynamo had 'come of age'.
A fan favourite at the Hong Kong Sevens, the DeA Tigers playmaker gets the opportunity to cap a fine season in front of his home crowd.
