Hong Kong Men’s Premiership: Tigers seal first league win in two seasons against HKU Sandy Bay – ‘we proved we are getting on the right track’
- Captain Hrstich credits his team for ‘hanging on’ to the 16-13 win after turning the tide in second half
- HKU Sandy Bay coach Wilkinson says his players are ‘gutted’ and will learn not to ‘release the pressure cooker’
King’s Park erupted in relief and jubilation after Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers earned their first league win of this and last season against Herbert Smith Free Hills HKU Sandy Bay on Saturday.
A resilient Tigers were trailing their opponents for the better of their Saxo Markets Men’s Premiership round three fixture but managed to secure a 16-13 win thanks to a late try from towering substitute Craig Lodge.
HKU Sandy Bay had set the tempo after a strong start saw an early try from 2018-19 season MVP Luke van der Smit. Tigers fly-half Joshua Henderson kept the match alive sinking two penalties before half-time. The momentum took a huge shift in the second, almost as if Tigers could smell blood.
“It’s been a long time between drinks but we’ll [finally] get them in!” said Tigers captain Joshua Hrstich, who put in another monster performance for the front pack. “Those are the games that winning teams usually manage to pinch, so for us to step up today was class.
“It was great to hang on there and get the win. Those are the ones that we probably dropped a long way back. It’s a credit to the boys for stealing those ones that could go either way.”