Rugby World Cup: Hong Kong ‘under no illusions’ of task facing them in qualifier against Tonga
- Two sides will play each other on Australia’s Sunshine Coast on July 23, with winners going to Paris next year
- For some Hong Kong players this will be just their second competitive game in more than six months
A Gregor McNeish penalty with the last kick gave Hong Kong a narrow 23-21 win in the Asia Rugby Championship final, earning them the right to face the Pacific Islanders on July 23.
Despite leading 15-0 at half-time, Hong Kong were pegged back after the break and there was plenty of evidence to suggest the lack of game time since last December contributed to the errors that crept in as the game progressed.
While Evans said he had not wanted to focus on negatives or make excuses in the build-up, he revealed that at one stage only four backs eligible to play for the team were fit.
As a result, training games were out of the question, meaning those players not based overseas had not played a match for more than six months before taking on Korea.
“We were very conscious of overplaying it, but being honest, so many of these guys haven’t played since December and every rugby player on the planet knows, you can have the biggest, hardest preseason of your life, you’re feeling really fit, and as soon as play you’re first preseason game it just wipes you out,” Evans said.
“For us to go into that [against Korea], it almost felt like a first preseason game. There were lots of cobwebs to be blown out, but we’ve got an opportunity now to kick on.
“We’re going into the game against Tonga better prepared certainly than we were against Korea.”
Bumps and bruises aside, Evans largely has a full squad to pick from, although he will be without Charles Higson-Smith, who was sent off in the first minute last Saturday, and Jack Neville, who has returned to the UK because of club commitments.
Evans called Neville’s departure “a big loss” and while disappointed that it had happened pointed to the performance of wing Matt Worley, who scored a try, and the arrival of centre Guy Spanton in the squad as positives.
With the physical challenge presented by Korea upfront, and the equally imposing threat of the Tongan pack, Evans has already made one change to his squad, with young loose-head prop Rory Cinnamond being replaced by the “well-conditioned” Ian Ethridge.
While Hong Kong are undercooked, the same cannot be said for their opponents who have played and lost to Fiji and Samoa over the past two weeks, and face an Australia A side on Saturday.
“We know how good Tonga can be and they’ve got unbelievable personnel available to them. They have obviously lost their last three games, but they’ve also had three unbelievable games to prepare for us.
“We know the threat that’s coming there, we know the physicality, we know the speed of ball they play. We’ve all seen footage now, and we just have to be on our game to be competitive with them.”
