Match Report: HKCC Babes 5 – 0 Police Sirens

(note: the author takes no responsibility for the numerous, terrible, law enforcement puns in this article)

The Women’s National League 1 regular season drew to a close on Saturday, with HKCC Babes hosting Police Sirens at Aberdeen. Delays in earlier games meant kick-off was postponed until 18:45; with the sides opting to “play until the lights went out”.

The Police, in yellow, received the ball to start the first half, but good poaching from Winnie Cheung and Emily Tuck arrested their attack almost immediately, at which point HKCC turned on the heat. The second row partnership of Lauren Petersen and Cornelia Noren (making an exciting 15s debut) powered a dominant HKCC scrum, which perhaps let off Sirens lightly by not pressing its advantage in the drive. Babes set up camp in the Police 22, but it was only in the 20^th minute that points went on the board, returning centre Julia Mason displaying excellent skills in the midfield and making space via a loop ball; then resisting three defenders to score on the far left of the field. The conversion was narrowly missed. HKCC should perhaps have had the courage of their convictions more often, working hard to create the space but then under-utilising this by relying too much on crashing the ball through the forwards. In full-flow, however, the Babes looked threatening and full of promise; Tinley Wong and Lucy Thomson, carrying matching shoulder injuries, scampered through the Police defence time and again but excellent speed and awarenesss from the Siren’s scrum half saved their bacon, securing turnover ball in some sloppy rucks.

The second half was an equally scrappy affair. The Babes’ occupation of the Police half threatened to last the entire game, as the HKCC scrum brought the Babes to within the 5 yard line yet again. Several phases later the referee raised his arm to indicate a try. The decision was overturned on appeal, both Babes and officials having being deceived by extraneous white paint on the pitch and thus short of the true try line. With possession secured, Carolyn Champion peeled off the back of a subsequent ruck but couldn’t find the final yards as the ball was held up yet again. Sirens broke out of their 22 on the left wing and, at full flight with support behind, looked nailed-on to score. But full back Brenda Chan bailed HKCC out of trouble with spectacular reading of the play and a well-timed tackle that forced a line out. HKCC soon stomped back down the field, hackles raised by some subtle infringements in the ruck – well, as subtle as stamping and hair pulling can be. Scrum half Lynda Nazer’s prints were all over the ball as she distributed it throughout a stop-start series of phases that saw no real breakthrough.

The first significant defensive error from the Babes (forming a line more umbrella shaped than flat) allowed Police to break through again, with winger Steph Zhang halting the attack but earning a card for doing so with a high tackle. And as the minutes ticked down, a second error, in not retreating ten yards from a penalty, earned Sirens their chance in the Babes 22. An over-zealous quick-tap was firmly rebuffed by the referee, and then play halted for several minutes to deal with an injured Sirens’ player. In the cold, the Police massed around the ball. The Babes closed ranks on their try line, poised and ready. After nearly 60 minutes, the game hinged on what was deemed the final minute. The Babes held their line after four phases. Sirens looked to pass across the width of the field, to exploit the space of the extra player. Excellent blitz defending held out to the very end though, and Sirens couldn’t hold on to the ball; Harriet Jamieson kicking out to secure a win that, with a little more poise and experience in attack, could have been so much more convincing.

Next week is championship quarter finals; at the top of the bill Nataxis HKFC Ice will take on 8^th seeded Police Sirens and second seeds Bloomberg HK Scottish Kukri tackle Society General Valley Red Ladies. HKCC Babes face off against Comvita City, in what should prove an exciting contest.

Unfortunately, your correspondent won’t be here to see it, or any future matches, owing to an imminent departure from Hong Kong. As ever with stories about this beautiful city, the tale is one of endless arrivals and departures, of soaring summers and hot-pot winters. The centerpiece of my own version will certainly be the fantastic, utterly brilliant year with HKCC, both on and off the pitch; when the most drunken 7s declaration ever made (why yes, Anna Holmes, maybe I would be interested in playing rugby again) became one of the best decisions I ever made. My thanks to bc magazine for hosting these only-slightly-biased match reports; and most of all to the people who’ve appeared in them. Babes, you’re all awesome – Keep playing ‘til the lights go out. HK….CC!