Hong Kong on course to retain sevens crown
Rees’ men unbeaten on first day, setting up likely showdown with Japan to decide Asian series
The signs are good for Hong Kong as they close in on their second successive Asian title after finishing the first day at the Singapore Sevens unbeaten, but more importantly with their try line uncrossed.
A slow start in soggy Singapore against China – their toughest pool opponent – failed to dampen the spirits of Hong Kong who are in line for yet another clash with Japan in the Cup final of the fourth and final leg of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series on Sunday, with winner taking all.
Hong Kong won 10-0 against China with tries from Lee Jones and Tom McQueen but it was a scrappy performance with Jamie Hood’s men turning over too much possession. The second game against the hosts was a more convincing performance with Hong Kong easing to a 36-0 victory.
“It was a poor day by our standards but the fact that we still did not allow anybody to score against us says how much our expectations have increased,” said head coach Dai Rees. “If we can play poorly against China but still finish with a comfortable 10-0 win, and it was comfortable, it says a lot.
“We need to pay attention to detail. We gave the ball away too much but I’m happy we got away with it and our try line intact.”
“I was happier with our second outing against Singapore. Perhaps we were a little bit off at the start with the weather probably affecting us,” Rees said. “It was tough out there having to cope with the humidity on top of a wet ground.”