Hong Kong overpower Tonga to win Borneo Sevens
Gareth Baber’s squad prove they can stand up to physical teams in morale-boosting victory ahead of World Series qualifier
Hong Kong's bid to become a core team on the HSBC Sevens World Series got a huge shot in the arm when they overcame a tough Pacific island challenge to win the inaugural ARFU Cross-Regional Sevens in Borneo on Sunday.
Captain Jamie Hood led from the front as Hong Kong passed a stiff physical test to beat Tonga 24-0 in the Cup final, after earlier defeating Papua New Guinea 24-12 in a semi-final.
The results are a massive boost as their opponents, especially Tonga, are among the top contenders at the 12-team qualifying tournament at this month's Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which will decide the core team for next season.
This tournament was all about how we could cope with stress situations and we have been very mature on the field
"This is a huge boost," said Hong Kong head coach Gareth Baber. "We haven't got the chance to play the other contenders before the Hong Kong Sevens but winning this tournament is a big tick in the box."
"We have been gelling as a team and we have matched two physical sides. This tournament was all about how we could cope with stress situations and we have been very mature on the field," said Baber, who took his top 12 players to Borneo.
It will be the only competition Hong Kong play before they make another bid to win core-team status, and while happy with the outcome of some tough games, especially against the Pacific islanders, Baber has challenged his team to take another step forward.
"We were not finishing teams off when we were in front. As a coach I always felt that we left tries out on the pitch, which if we had scored would have made things a little bit easier for us." Baber added.
