Hong Kong top their Sevens qualifier pool in Chile, set to face Uganda in quarter-final
- Successful opening day for Hong Kong in South America
Hong Kong beat Colombia and Papua New Guinea handily, before scraping through a tough test with Jamaica to advance to today’s quarter-finals against Uganda (Monday, 2.24am, Hong Kong time).
The 16-man squad was pared back to a final 12 on Friday with Max Woodward, Mike Coverdale, Kane Boucaut, Raef Morrison, Toby Fenn, Cado Lee Ka-To, Russ Webb, Jamie Hood, Alex McQueen, Liam Herbert and Salom Yiu Kam-shing selected for the opening leg.
The players omitted from the Olympic qualifier in November due to eligibility restrictions were active in Chile with forward Kane Boucaut and electric back Jack Neville both inserting well in their first sevens action in some time.
Boucaut scored Hong Kong’s first try of the tournament, breaking through the Colombia defence in the first minute to open a half where Hong Kong would be parked in their opponent’s end. Three second-half tries sprang from the pressure, as Hong Kong pushed past a flagging Colombia 26-0.
Raef Morrison, who fractured his jaw in training shortly before the Olympic qualifier, also looked focused on his return, with his first half brace driving an eventual 24-0 half-time lead, and a final 36-0 win over Papua New Guinea.